The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-05
LEVEES OR NO LEVEES.
Editor n. o. Bulletin:

| Your article Of Tuesday morning. or
''Levees or no Levees," is quite suggestive,
| and it is not impossible that investigating the
/! subject from that point of view will show
| that our whole course in regard to the river
| has been but another illustration of the tend
| ency OF mankind to run in grooves.
All material progress is but the outward
expression of the result Of mental labor in
pursuing trains Of thought started by some
suggestive circumstance But, like horse in
blinds We frequently travel long distances
without using anything not directly in front
of us, and it is only when some extraordinary
out of our well-worn channel by main force,
that we look about us in astomshment at the
good things We have missed.
The causes of this are often very obscure,
and it may be useless to ask whether it was
ignorance or egotism, or something else, that
has kept us from looking to the experience of
older civilizations for practical suggestions as
to the best methods Of utilizing our rich in
heritance-th the great Valley of the Mississippi
1t is quite possible that, as in building
houses, we eXpend large sums of money in
excluding the life and health-giving free cir
culation of air, for want of which we suffer many
of the ills which flesh is heir to, so in our
river matters, we may have been spending
and fertility that would have been the greatest
of blessings.
Indeed, this problem may have been marked
out to the solution suggested by your CORE
spondent in this very Mississippi Valley
1t is well known that this region has been
occupied at some former period by a teeming
population, which had made no inconsiderable
advance in arts and sciences The mounds
they have left behind which have puzzled
psychologists no little, prove them to have
been acquainted with mathematics and en-
cheering, and our illustrious townsnan. Dr.
Joseph Jones, has shown, from the indications
upon their bones, that they were swept off the
earth by the terrible ravages of a disease
which is the peculiar scuorge of civilization.
Theologians naturally suppose these mounds
to have been connected with religious rites and
ceremonies; but l submit, that it is quite as
reasonable to suppose that their chief purpose
was to furnish places of residence above high
water for a people who not only knew the
agricultural value Of the rich alluvion but who
had learned to appreciate the invigorating in
fuence upon the soil of the annual over
flow.
Indeed the great number of these tumuli
indicate the latter the most rational theory.
Says Rev. E. Fontaine: "These mounds are so
abundant in the valley of the Yazoo River,
that they give it the name it bears" "Yazoo
meaning river of ruins"
Again: ''They seem to have been excellent
judges of land and to have selected the best
for agriculture, and where the soil was the
most fertile and the best watered the ruins of
their ediflces are the most numerous" do
not remember to have heard of this peculiar
structure Of mound being found in the high
lands, nor any where else than in broad and
fertile bottoms; yet, in all probability the
same race, with the same religion, occupied
the adjacent hills.
The system Of labor before the war. which
was essentially communistic or cooperative,
rendered the culture of these rich bottoms
highly remunerative-a result which has not
been attained by any system tried since the
war.
submit it then, as an interesting question,
whether, doing away with all levees, except
those necessary to protect the actual residence,
inviting the overflow, the best of all fertilizers,
to the greatest possible extent, and the adop-
ton OF cooperative system of labor, by which
large tracts could be cultivated, and all parties
concerned should be directly interested in re-
suits, does not give promise of greater success
than any plan heretofore adopted or suggested.
1t is certain that all the plans which have
been tried for developing the inexhaustible
resources of this rich alluvion have been pro-
ductive Of the most meagre results, compare
lively.
Let us, therefore, lay aside prejudice, get
out Of the ruts, and examine the matter from
all points of view, and success will be more
likely to attend our efforts. EXCELSIOR.