roads, Scott's and Mahone's, run in parallel lines, as projected through Hawkins county.

Minerals, Marbles, &c. . Gold, silver (?), lead and iron ore are found in the county, but not in paying quantities as yet. The variegated marble of Hawkins is unrivaled. This marble outcrops for about twelve miles. Its extraordinary beauty attracted the attention of Mr. Troost, State Geologist, and in 1838 a company of gentlemen, in and near Rogersville, commenced working it. Two blocks of it are in the Washington monument, at Washington city, one sent by the State of Tennessee and the other by Hawkins county. Large quantities of it were used in adorning the interior of the capitol extension at Washington city. The balustrade 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. Four large quarries are worked, and blocks weighing eighteen thousand pounds are shipped by railroad. It is used for a great variety of purposes. Barytes is found, but has not been worked as yet. Salt was made in Hawkins county as early as 1820, and two new wells are being bored at this time, with very favorable prospects. The water is found in the same valley in which the Smyth county, Virginia, salt wells are situated.

Mineral Waters. An alum well, with an abundant supply of water, is five miles east of Rogersville, and the same distance north of the town are Hale's red and white sulphur springs, a place of great repute and beauty, and largely attended as a summer resort, while other sulphur and chalybeate springs abound in the county.

Towns and Villages. Rogersville is a place of one thousand inhabitants, and has always been justly celebrated for the intelligence, refinement and genuine hospitality of its citizens, but in these respects the town has only worthily represented the county at large, a county which, in the enterprise, refinement, and hospitality of its people, the comfort and elegance of their dwellings and other surroundings, has always challenged the admiration of passing strangers. The town has three fine schools, well attended. It has five churches-two Presbyterian, two Methodist, and one Baptist-in which the white population of the town and vicinity worship, and two are being erected-Presbyterian and Methodist, by the colored people. One of the branches of the Bank of Tennessee was located here, in what was said to be the best arranged banking house in the State. A private bank is soon to occupy this fine building. There are four other towns or

villages in the county. Morrisburg, St. Clair, Stony Point, and Rotherwood. The county is well supplied with churches-Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and, in a few localities, Dunkards of Pennsylvania origin, and comprising a steady and industrious people. The common school system is well established, and the county has good mail facilities, having twenty-two post-offices, and seven mail routes.

Woolen Mills, Water-power, &c. There are two woolen mills in operation. The Rotherwood Mill on the north fork of the Holston, twenty-six miles east of Rogersville, and Kirkpatrick's Mill, five miles south-west, operated by steam power. steam power. They manufacture blankets, and cloths of every quality. Flouring mills, saw-mills, and tanneries are to be found in every neighborhood. The Holston River and tributaries afford ample water-powers for any amount of machinery. In 1825-6, Cloud's Shoals on the Holston River, five miles west of Rogersville, were reported upon by Colonel Long, United States army, then surveying a military road, as a proper location for a government manufactory of arms. That the county is well watered, is evidenced by the fact that the old stage route, traversing the county from north-east to south-west, is crossed by twenty-four distinct and perpetual streams, and twelve of these afford water-power sufficient to operate numerous mills. Limestone springs are innumerable.

Population. The population of the county was, in 1870, about sixteen thousand. Taxes, State and county are one dollar and fifteen cents on the one hundred dollars, upon a very reasonable valuation of property. Immigration greatly desired, that is, of the right kind, which means peaceable, industrious persons, who were good citizens where they came from. Hawkins county has already received and welcomed some such additions to its population, and earnestly desires more. One gentleman from New York has established one of the woolen mills referred to above. Another from Vermont has introduced, and is breeding and training, trotting horses. Others from Pennsylvania are taking hold of our fine farming lands. More of this stamp are thrice welcome, and can come and reside amongst us without our people asking or caring to know their politics or religion. Farm wages are reasonable, from eight to ten dollars per month. Labor is both white and colored. Colored population of the county, represented by about three hundred voters, is quiet, orderly, and well disposed. Lands range from five to seventy-five dollars per acre, according to location, quality and improvements. The climate, as to health and comfort, is

all that could be desired. Fifteen of the citizens of Rogersville are between the ages of seventy-five and ninety-two years, and this is but a fair sample of the good health and longevity of the people generally. The county has lost but few citizens by emigration since the war, and many of these are returning to "Old Hawkins."

JAMES COUNTY.

COUNTY SEAT-OOLTAWAH.

This is a new county, the law creating it having been passed and approved January 30, 1871, when it was immediately organized. It is bounded on the east by Bradley county, on the north by Meigs, on the south by the State of Georgia, and on the west by the Tennessee River and Hamilton county. It contains about 285 square miles, has a voting population of about 1,000, and a total population of near 5,000.

The principal towns are Ooltawah, Harrison and Birchwood. Ooltawah is the county seat. It contains a population of about 400. It is situated on the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. The citizens are enterprising and intelligent. Harrison was formerly the county seat of Hamilton county, but fell into James county when it was formed. It is an old town, and contains a small population. Harrison College is located here, an institution of high grade, and doing an important work. Birchwood is a small village, with a population of about 200.

There are some excellent farming lands in this county. The Savannah Valley, which runs through it, is exceedingly fertile. It is three miles wide on an average. The soil is supported by a strong clay subsoil.

The prevailing rocks are limestones and dolomites. Sandstones and shales occur in White Oak Mountain, in which also are strata of the red fossiliferous iron ore. Mineral waters of various kinds abound. There is no lack of pure spring water, and no healthier region anywhere. The climate is mild. The winters are short, and the summer seasons are not oppressively warm.

Farms are of various sizes, but mostly in tracts too large for success

ful cultivation. They are generally worked by the owners. The terms of leasing are one-third of the crop of the uplands and one-half of the bottom lands. The cultivation of the grasses is too much neglected, and there is but little meadow. Both the soil and climate are favorable to the successful culture of all the grass crops. The farmers continue the old system of raising too much corn, which has exhausted the soil. Here and there one has broken the crust of this fossilized system, and adopted the more sensible one of cultivating less, and of fertilizing his soil with an eye to meadows and grazing.

Although this section was greatly injured by the war-stock destroyed, fences burnt up, and the lands neglected-farms are now in a more hopeful condition than they were antecedent to the war, which proves that the farmers have been industrious and fully alive to the importance of recuperating their soil and of repairing the waste places. They are using better implements of husbandry, are plowing deeper, and paying more attention to their duties.

There is a deficiency of improved breeds of stock throughout the county. There is very little thoroughbred stock of any kind. This is a drawback upon the operations of the farmers. They would find that their profits would be largely enhanced by at least crossing their native stock with the purest breeds. It is difficult to raise sheep on account of hungry curs. They are regarded as an intolerable nuisance, and there is a universal wish that some stringent measures should be adopted to abate the nuisance.

The county is not thickly settled. There is ample room for three or four times the present population. Many large farms would make from two to four good ones, and it would be a benefit if they could be subdivided and sold to others. The citizens are anxious that newcomers should come into their midst. They would be kindly received. Lands are for sale in all parts of the county, and are offered upon easy

terms.

The aggregate amount of taxable property is $754,327. There is almost every variety of timber. The water-courses are small, but there are some valuable sites for mills, &c.

Transportation is available by way of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad. Labor is scarce and wages reasonably high. The greatest drawback upon the county is the want of laborers and fertilizers.

There is an earnest feeling on the subject of education. The schools are usually good.

There is not a farmers' club in the county, nor any fair grounds.

JEFFERSON COUNTY.

COUNTY SEAT-DANDRIDGE.

Jefferson county, having a far greater extent of surface than it has now, was established at the same time with Knox, in June 1792, by the Governor, when the State was a part of the "territory south-west of the Ohio River." This county is situated in the great Valley of East Tennessee, and is remarkable for its superior lands, its excellent schools, its enterprising farmers, its numerous churches and its orderly and intelligent society. It joins Knox county on the west, and the East Tennessee, Virgina and Georgia Railroad runs through its northwestern side. It is bounded on the north by Grainger and Hamblen counties, on the north-east by Hamblen, on the east by Cocke, and on the south by Sevier. It is somewhat broken by hills and ridges, and one large ridge runs through 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 knobby 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 arable 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 calcareosiliceous 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 uplands 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 putting more of their lands down in clover and grass, with the view of raising cattle and of establishing dairies.