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(Cartersville (Ga.) American.)
BARTOW’S WEALTH.
THE BOUNDLESS RICHES OF
A GREAT COUNTY.
Mineral, Agricultural, Gold, Cop
per and Other Resources —
Climate and Water, Etc.
CLIMATE AND WATER.
To those at all cognisant of the
topography and geological formations
of the county, it is needless to say any
thing touching the climate and water.
To the stranger looking for a home,
information of this character is of the
highest interest.
The bulk of the county lies immedi
ately north of the last regular bench
of mountains, or foothills, southward
from the Blue Ridge, and entirely
within the thirty-fourth parallel of lat
itude. Numerous ranges of lower ele
vations, traverse the county in various
directions, but mainly parallel to the
Blue Ridge. Between the ridges,
charming villages mellow the landscape,
and give promise of abundant harvests
to the husbandman. The atmosphere
is neither too dry nor too moist, but
bracing and healthful. Looking at
the facts as above set forth a thought
ful man will reasonably conclude that
we have here a genial, salubrious cli
mate. This is the truth. •
Throat and lung diseases are rare.
Pneumonia has not obtained (except
sporadically; in nearly thirty years.
Consumption, the scourge of more
northern climes, scarcely exists, except
as imported. Summer diseases prevail
as anywhere else, but not to the extent,
nor with the fatality that characterize
them in many sections of the country.
Cholera is unknown.
Now as to the water. All the ex
treme southern and southeastern and
eastern portions of the country are en
tirely free-stone; cropping out fre
quently in the springs, cool, refresh
ing, satisfying. This statement needs
to be qualified, so far as to except the
mineral springs, of which there are sev
eral, and some justly famous, viz: the
Rowland Springs. The principal con
stituents of the mineral waters, are iron,
sulphur and magnesia, The forma
tions are mainly granitic. The rest of
the country (about two-thirds) is of the
limestone formation, and the waters
partake of the nature of the rocks.
There are, however, mineral springs
and wells of free and nearly freestone
water.
While there are numbers of bold
blue limestone springs, the main sup
ply of water for domestic uses is ob
tained from wells, which are found at
from 30 to 75 feet. Speaking of lime
stone water, the “true blue’' alone is
meant, as not a single fountain of rot
ten limestone water exists in the coun
ty-
IRON.
The county of Bartow contains with
in her boundary lines a greater variety
of minerals and a larger quantity and
variety of iron ores than any other
county in Georgia, and perhaps, with
one exception, than any in the south.
The first is due to the fact that in the
county is the dividing line between the
new and the old rock formations, the
fossil limestones ofthesilurean age and
the slates and gneissoid the
paleozoic and azoic time, traveling
from its northern to its southern border
over a thousand of years of created time,
from the coralline limestones across
that belt wherein the convulsions in
which nature’s change was made amid
the wild, upheaved rocks of the Eto
wah to the yellow leaves of geological
nature in the Hornblende gneiss south
of Allatoona; from the lately formed
limonite in the valley of the Oostanau
la to the hard and close-grained mag
netic ores of the oldest rocks.
To the student of geology the fact
of this range of formations would im
mediately convey an idea of at least
varied mineral wealth, and it was the
knowledge of this fact that caused Bar
tow county to be selected by Prof.
George Little, a former state geologist,
as the first county for elaborate exam
ination, and one from which he could
fairly illustrate the plan of his survey.
And thus it forms the basis of a large
portion of his “Report of Progress,”
published in 1874.
Bartow county contains gold, cop
per magnetic and specular iron ores in
its southern part, with brown hema
tite, while in the limestone region are
found numerous beds of brown hema
tite, unsurpassed in quality and in ex
tent ; and the same is true of the beds
of managanese, which are abundant,
and the ore of good character. Then
the excellent quality of the limestone
and cement rock has caused the erec
tion of extensive kilns in several sec
tions of the county, where these stones
are burned to lime—equal in quality
to any in the world.
The county was the first in Georgia
to commence the manufacture of iron.
In 1837, Jacob Stroup erected a forge
and furnace near the Stamp creek.
It made no pig metal, but all hollow
ware and other casting, which were
hauled to all parts of the state. This
was the nucleus from which grew the
famous and extensive Etowah Iron
Works, under the management of Hon.
Mark A. Cooper. The works at one
time consisted of two furnaces, a roll
ing and nail factory and an extensive
Hour mill, all employing over 300
hands. The property consists of su
perb water powers on the Etowah riv
er and Stamp creek and about 12,000
acres of land, containing numerous
beds and veins of brown hematite and
specular iron ores. A small forge and
corn mill has lately been erected near
the old Stamp creek furnace, but with
this exception this valuable property
is now unused. The first lager beer
made in the south was made at the
works. The next furnace was erected
on Allatoona creek by Jacob Stroup.
It run until 1861, when it was aban
doned.
The greatest development of brown
hematite iron ore in the country is to
be found up the valley leading from
Cartersville to Fairmount, and contig
uous thereto on the waters of Stamp
creek. Some idea of the immense
quantity of iron ore up this valley may
be formed by quoting from Prof. Lit
tle’s pamplet, the number of extensive
beds he noted in a distance of ten miles
from Cartersville, all in or bordering on
the valley. He names twelve in that
distance: The Peachtree Bank, Big
Bank, Black Bank, Terry, Sugar Hill,
Connor, Big Spring, Buford, Wild Cat,
Lowrey’s, Munford and Guyton Hill,
and more can be added in the ten miles
farther on to Fairmount. Well and
truly has a visitor to our section named
this the Iron Valley.
In the southern part of the county
are also great deposits of brown hem
atite iron ore. On the line of the East
& West railroad from Cartersville to
Broken Arrow, is to be found a con
tinuation of the same line of deposits
which make the Iron Valley, none of
which are yet developed? but great in
their undeveloped state amid the dense
forests that surround them. Another
great belt of brown hematite ores cross
es the country below Kingston, con
taining in its extent an immense quan-
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
tity of very pure ore. One of the
banks is romantically located, near the
Crystal Springs, which form the head
of Three Run creek, and in what is
known as the Branson place. It is re
markable among this class of ores as
being entirely free from phosphorus.
There are other extensive banks on this
line, extending down into Polk county.
Still another line of ores comes across
the northern edge of the county.
Such is a brief sketch of the brown
hematite beds of the county of Bartow.
In the aggregate they contain an enor
mous quantity of iron ore, enough to
supply many furnaces for hundreds of
years; and many of them alone can
compare favorably with any of the
vast masses of such economical materi
al that have become famous in the an
nals of mineralogy and geography.
And unlike many such wondrous de
posits they are not far distant from line
of transportation, but almost at the pit
mouth runs a trunk line of railroad,
well managed and offering cheap rates
of freight. One of these great depos
its, the Guyton Hill, is a great cone
over 200 feet high, covering over 40
acres of ground, and is a solid mass of
brown hematite iron ore. Another,
the Buford, is a long hill-side, made up
of vast masses of ore of great purity
and richness. It is long ere the child
will be born who will see the day when
all these vast deposits will be exhaust
ed.
MANGANESE.
It has become a fact of note that
Bartow county has the best and purest
manganese in the United States, and
that the quantity is simply inexhausti
ble. Scattered over a hundred hills
are great stores of this mineral, still re
maining for that better time, and that
time must come as the march of pro
gress daily comes nearer to our duors,
calling for its use in the manufacture
of new steels.
* * * *
When this mining for manganese was
first begun, the veins of ore were follow
ed in open trenches and pits. This
caused a great expenditure of useless
labor. Now, however, the veins are
traced by tunneling. One tunnel has
been made, about two hundred yards
in length, besides ofi-shoots to the right
and left, following veins yielding ores
of from 75 to 90 per cent, of metallic
manganese.
All grades of the ore are found in
these mines—from the commonest to
the finest variety. Mr. Dobbins has
shipped a great deal of manganese to
Europe, and much more of it is to go
there.
Space is too limited to give in detail
the workings of this tremendous enter
prise. Suffice it to say, the machin
ery is being put up, and all the appli
ances for furnishing this valuable min
eral to the world’s manufacturers, are
being put in shape, so that, in no long
time, hundreds and thousands of tons
will be sent from our midst annually,
and in its stead money —which we need
more than anything else —will pour in
upon us.
COPPER.
Copper ore has been found in the
southwest end of the county of appa
rently good quality at the outcrop, but
no developments have been made of
sufficient depth to tell the extent of the
veins or their true quality. Being be
yond the first gneiss belt, they appear
to be in the same geological position
as the Ducktown ores. However well
they promise an expenditure of capital
can alone tell their value.
OTHER ADVANTAGES.
It must be remembered that there
are other advantages in a county which
raises large quantities of wheat, corn
and meat, as well as minerals; and,
too, affording a climate never afflicted
with the malarias of the farther south
regions, nor the rigors of the northern
winter. Here the laborer can work
all the year without danger from cli
matic disease, and the employer or
capitalist can bring his family to reside
here without fear of cholera or yellow
fever. To this land of ours, so pro
lific of iron and manganese, so glitter
ing with golden sands, so productive
of all that is needed by man or beast,
we cordially invite the capitalist and
man of energy.
Compliments from the Press.
We publish below some compliment
ary notices of the Kennesaw Ga
zette, and of the Western & Atlan
tic Railroad’s “Battlefields Folder,” in
which the Kennesaw route comes in
for a share of general praise, clipped
from our exchanges. Our hats are off
to you, gentlemen :
The Herald, Mt. Carmel, 111.
The Kennesaw Gazette, pub
lished at Atlanta, Ga., is our latest
exchange. It is a semi-monthly, and
is published in the interest of the
Western & Atlantic Railroad Com
pany. In this day of excursions to
noted places, fine scenery, salubrious
climates, etc., it is not to be forgotten
that this Western & Atlanta Railroad
offers a combination of all three of
these. Its noted places include the
track of Sherman’s army from Chat
tanooga. Tenn., to Atlanta, Ga. It
was along this railroad that General
Joseph E. Johnston, of the Confeder
ate army, retreated in front of Sher
man’s swarming hosts in blue. Here
we find Ringgold, Buzzard’s Roost,
Rocky Face Ridge, the passes of Snake
Creek, Resaca, Dalton, Adairsville,
Kingston,Cassville,Cartersville. Close
by, Allatoona, where Corse defied the
Confederate hosts, and where origin
ated the memorable order, “Hold the
Fort,” which is the subject of the gos
pel hymn so widely known; here is
Kennesaw’s dark and bloody front,
here Big Shanty, the Chattahoochee
and Atlanta. Near by is Ezra Church,
Powder Springs, Peach Orchard,where
the gallant McPherson died, that
bloody summer day. On Kennesaw
is shown the spot where Gen. Polk,
who exchanged the mitre of the bish
op for the sword of the soldier, was
killed. Here is Marietta, one of the
finest cities in the South. This wdiole
line from Chattanooga to Atlanta is
historic ground. It passes the Chicka
mauga battle ground, made sacred by
the blood of a host who wore the blue
and the grey. It carries the tourist
through the passes of Missionary
Ridge, where Bragg failed to beat back
the victorious hosts of Grant. Every
foot of ground has a history, every
hill top a story, every valley is a book.
The scenery is grand. From the
time the tourist leaves the shadow of
“Lookout” at Chattanooga, until he
arrives at Atlanta, he passes through
mountain scenery unsurpassed in the
United States. The precipices of Buz
zard’s Roost awe him into silence. The
bold heights of Rocky Face thrill him
with admiration. The passes of Alla
toona, the dense pine forests around
Cassville, the bright streams thread
ing their way through the hills, all
combine to attract and please the fancy.
Bold Kennesaw, standing like a grim
sentinel, looms up to the clouds, the
admiration of all lovers of mountain
scenery, and the thousand other Views
which the tourist meets on his route,
make a trip over this road most desir
able. The climate is most healthful
and invigorating. The winter season