The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-11-07
Memphis DRAMA e.

utterly failed to abate one jot of that
intolerabls nuisance, Bayou Gayoso.
We have been familiar " ith this filthy,
death breeding gulch ever since we first
made our home in Memphis, which was
as far back as 1858, and from that time
to this we have entertained the idea that
instead of being curse the bayou could
be made a blessing to the city. Our
space is limited, and we cannot explain
infinitely, but will endeavcr, in brief, to
give our idea Of how this desirable change
can be brought about Note the geog-
raphY Of the section upon which the city
and its envirOns are located: yoa see
that, naturally, the drainage is towards
the east and into the bayou from the
west front Of the city, as the land slopes
gradually from the crest of the bluff along
tho Mississippi river clear back to the
depression in which We find the sluggish
bayou. For a mile or more east Of the
depression the drainage comes rolling
along and bearing the accumulated filth
into the same bayou. Keep in mind
that this same bayou rises in the ex-
treme southern limits Of the city, or a lit
tie beyond, and flows north into Wolf
river, passing through the very heart Of
the city for distance of nearly three
miles Now look at the tributaries to
this main disease breeder, Near where
the Nj. IL l. crosses it in Pinch, comes
in q loug branch which TANKS Morris
Cemetery on the north and partially on
the east, and reaches its many arms far
out towards the east and southeast. Be-
tween Union and Beal another long and
flsh laden tributary comes pouring in its
vile poisonB. Near South street occures
the juncture Of the two streams which
really form Bayou Gayoso. One comes
in from an east, sOuthSeaEt course, the
other from south, southwest course
The latter heading soush-east Of she
mounds at Fort Pickering, and near the
north fork of the big gu.ch which comes
into the Mississippi river near the SOUTH
ern base Of the mounds With this, we
have an outline Of the Bayou proper, its
tributaries, confunce and source Bear
in mind also, that the whole city, incIud-
ing Fort Pickering and Chelsea, and
even the neig hbOrhood Of Elmwood ceme-
terry, is dependent, at present, upon the
bayou for drainage. Now, the Bayou
joins Wolf river at a point about one
mile from where the latter stream empties
into the Mississippi. When the two
rivers are down at low tide, there is lit
tie drainage through the bayou, hut
even this does not not occur only when
the city is blessed with a good rain.
When the rivers are up at a flood height
the back water stands deep aud thick
with filth clear up to Beal street The
stagnant pools in summer and the back
water in winter and spring is what must
be gotten rid Of before the bayou can be
changed from curse to blessing How
is this to be done The easiest thing in
the world, and the wonder has been with
us all the time, why it was not done.
Build dam across Wolf river just be
low the mouth Of the bayou; convert the
bayou into a canal az far south as South
street, and then cut ditch from that
point to the gulch which runs east and
west just south Of the mounds at Fort
Pickering. Build water gates in the
Wolf river dam, and also have a dam
across the bay on and let 1t be furnished
with water Catss also; then the voluWn
of water can be easily managed and a
current kept constantly flowing through
the city year III and year out, no matter
whether the Mississippi is high or low,
or whether it rains or shines. To US,
there Is no other plan to supply ample
surface drainage to Memphis, and as this
/ II what she certainly needs the most, We
hope the crude ideas We have here all
TOO inadCquateIy expressed may fall in
rich soil and be clothed in better lan-
/ guage than We can command. Their,
can 10 n doubt about the possibility o
the plan, and, take it all in all, it will b.
the cheapest, surest and safest in the
long run.
/ Q ye old Nemphians, what pleasant
sight it would be to see the clear waters
of Wolf river rushing along where thu
filthy bayou used to be You can havt
it go, we verify believe, for less thar
$T50,OOO. y our city needs drainage bad
ly. Until you get it, sickness, pestiIenct
and death will lie your portion, and thu
HcurSed Bayou Gayoso viii continue t,
be the cause of it. Blot out the bayou
and you blot out affection, woe, miser,
and death live were the grand - clop
of lovely but unfortunate Memphis vi
would have Minor Meriwether fixing tn
canal down on paper in less than a week