Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-21
LEvEEs.



At the last session of the Mississippi
Legislature, flaw was passed providing for
the construction of q lsves, from Horn
Lake TO the southern bounds of Coahoma
county, where the levee is to connect
with one already under course OF con
struction to the Yazoo river. The law
which provides for the erection OF these
levees hss among itE provisions one pro-
viding forthe appointment Of q commits
sioner for each Of the counties concerned.
These sre to be elected by the board Of
supervisors of each county, and when so
elected, are to form a body to be known
as the board OF l6vee commissioners,
whose duty it is to sae that ths afors-
mentioned work shall be done. The
board at present consist of five members,
"a follows: Desoto county, r. s. Tate; Tu-
". ", Howe, TallahatchIe county, HsW-
kins, CoRhoma county; A. s. Dowd. At
the meeting, yesterday, Mr.. Hawkins
was not present, but the other four were,
A. s. Dowd Is President and A. R.
Howe, of Pamela county, Secretary and
Treasurer. The proposed levee will be
100 miles in length, and, when finished,
finest land in b world from overflow.
Unlike the valley of the Nile, this land is
injured n not benefited by overflow.
The Grier it can be kept the better crop 1t
yislds. With such cultivation as is in
other places bestowed on corn, il will pro-
duce from slightly to one hundred bushels
of corn to the acre. Cattle may be taken
out of the woods In winter and killed,
they being in q better condition for the
butchers knife than those that are stall
fed all the winter. This land Is in
truth as rich as gold. Crops can be
raised on it, even with the overflow,
but they have this disadvantage, they
have to be put in lste-say in June-and
it therefore becomes necessary for the
hands to work through the heat Of July
and August before they are "laid by.j'
This work / the very hot wesshsr sickens
the lsbOrsr-he can't DO it with IMMUNITY,
Besides this, the srops 50 put In on are
usually short and Ars very late coming in,
WheR the land Is protected by : levse the
crors may be put in during March and
laid by before she hests Of June set in.
They viii ripsn esrly and have = good
yieid, because the dryer the ground is the
better crops can be rsised from 1t.
The law providing tor these leYeea dxes
an aggregate tax on those low lands Of
S125, 600 per year to pay for the work, 20
bs raised every year fer twelve years. The
law alss authorizes the sale of Isnds for
non-payment OF taxes, which sales have
already been decided to be valid
and the titles good. The commission
ers are authorized TO issue bonds TO the
amount OF 81, 00O, eco, but which ara net 20
be negotiated for less than Hinsty cents on
the dollar. The interest on bhese bonds is
secured by the tax Of sl25, coo per year
levied upon tbs grounds which Srs to be
benefited by the lsyee, Sc that those
bonds may be considered q Lien on the
lands shat fail to pay this tax. Memphis
has a deep interest in these lands. They
are the richest cotton lands in the world.
capable of marketing nearly q million
bales of cotton in one year, II brought
under proper cultivation. Memphis COM
msnds all the trade of this vast and Iuxu-
rious section, 2 section that is destined at
no distant day to sTsrm with a dense and
rich population.
The board yesterday were principally
occupied in considering a number Of bids
that were sent In for the proposed work,
and in discussing she manner OF dispOsing
Of the bonds, which are now being printed
in New York. There was no decision ar
at ia respect to letting out ths work
yet, The commissioners havs decided to
in tina city until q chance shall
have been afforded to sl the contractors
to investigate and consider the matter,
and put in their bids. They will meet
again to-day. They are elected for four
years, so that the work may be completed
while in their hands. One hundred and
twenty miles of leveeing will afford con-
siderable work to our lSborers for some
Only think of the amount of quiz
nine and whisky that will be swallowed
the progress of the work.