The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-09
MEMPHIS.
The Overflow Sufferers.

MEMPHIS, May S.-The relief COM
mittee this morning received q large
| number OF letters and applications Tor
relief from the overfowed districts, par
ticularly from the lower portion OF
Arkansas where the destitutiou is
greater and more general. The fol-
lowing extracts from letters will give q
good idea of the suffering and destitu-
ton there and will appeal to philan.
thropy throughout the lard. A well
known planter writing from Bernard,
Chicot county. Arkansas, says: "There
are needed in this section ratlons
for thousands OF persons and
forage Tor their stock, and whose
lands are under water. The destitu-
! ton here will be very great, nearly
every one in the overflowed district
having lost their stock aud having
nolhing left to aid them in purchasing
necessary rations. These parties all
require help till they can raise some
corn. Help US all you can, our people
are truly suffering, and unless we get
aid to make at least some corn, this
portion OF the country will be abaD-
doned by fully ope-nalf OF the laborers. Il"
A petition from three hundred and
fifty colored laborers from Arkansas
City and vicinity if forwarded by j. W.
Dickinson, formerly cotton factor
here, which says: "The undersigned
colored people of Arkansas City and
neighboring plantations, would respect
fully state that we are in desperate
condition, only a few ot US
having a few days rations, and
they have been furnished by
the owners of plantations, who now
have not enough left Tor their own fam.
lilies long. The water stands as high
as four leet above the floors OF many OF
our houses, and some of US have had to
move out and herd with others as bsst
we can. Over all the plantations the
water stands from three to five feet
The levees are all broken, fences gone,
and our stock has been greatly reduced
from starvation and drowning. Our
friends, the white people, have done all
they could and can do no more. Now
we can gee nothing but starvation and
death to many of US, unless the good
people will aid us, and that soon."
Mr.. Dickinson, in forwarding the
petition, says: 1T does not make the
condition as bad as it really is. Some
of these families are on my place, and
have been feeding them for
four months, three OF which
have been cooped up in their
houses on platforms three feet above
their floors. l cannot feed them any
longer but hope something will be done
for these poor negroes. They will SUI
Ter soon, as some OF them have not
enough left for their own poor families
long and others are living on parched
corn" On the other side OF the river,
from where these letters are
written, there is considerable
destitution, but Governor Ames and
| other State officials are taking steps to
relieve them. But IN Arkansas, owing
to the troubled condition of affairs at
the Capital, nothing is being done for
them and they are entirely dependent
on the charities Of the citizens OF 9TH
er States. The relief Committee here
is doing good work but can't relieve
but small portion of the inundated
district. At Hopefeld, opposite here,
which has been submerged Tor nearly
two months, there is considerable dis
tress, but it is being relieved.
The following information concern
ing the overflow is cleaned from the
officers OF boats arriving last night: {:
The rise in the St. Francis river, which
Get in few days since, has overfowed
the banks and in two or three places
the plantations under cultivation have
been drowned out. There is but little
destitution in this valley and the plan
ters are hopeful OF the water soon
running off and being able to resume
planting. This rise has broken the
levee in several places near Island No
63 and threatens several other levees
at Helena and Faris Point. The river
is inside its banks down to Augusta and
below there tine planters are yet hope
full Of being able 10 make a crop. In
lower Arkansas the water is off all the
plantations and the planters are at
work.
Stephen Delacela, deputy sheriff, is
on trial in the Criminal Court here for
tampering with the jury in the csse Of
a detaultng tax collector named Bill
| McLeon.