New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-06
Destifulion in AvOyelIeS.

The following letter, by which it will be
seen that the deplorable condition Of the
people Of the parish of Avoyelles can not
easily be exaggerated, was not intended
for publication, but having received it from
Judge Cullom, With his Endorsement which
follows it, we deem its substance too i'm
portant to be suppressed:
BE BRyD, BAYOU Dss G1ArzHs,
April 28, 1873. )
Judge & North Cullom, Rev Orleans:
DEAR STR am now witnessing as
have been for the last few days, the most
heart rending scenes l have ever seen in
my life. Your old parish of Avoyelles is
now in a worse condition than either of us
ever saw any people on earth. The lamenta-
tiOns of the people are enough to melt q
petrifed heart. When the crevasse took
place on the Satterfeld place, four or five
others occurred in such rapid succession
thatithe people scarcely had time to save
anything at all.
The food poured through in such angry
torrents that in q few hours the whole
| country was deluged, the water sweeping
everything before it, including stock OF
| every description, like frail barks before q
way house was overturned in which a
| family resided, and it was With the greatest
difficulty the members of it we're rescued
| from drowning. / understand that other
houses have been turned over by the dash-
| ing waters, but fortunately no lives have
been lost 80 far as l have heard Many
! plantation have been 80 torn up and ruined
| that were the foods to retire tomorrow
| crops could not be raised upon them this
year.
Many, very many families who were
| Independent a few weeks ago, are now un
| able to pay for loaf bread. Judge, the
subject is 40 painful to me that can write
| at NO great length. Snffice it to say that the
suffering here beggars description. l am
now writing on some planks, over waite!
about three feet deep, with my wife and
children around me. 1t is the highest spo'
on my place. Ny crop Of corn, cotton
potatoes, and my garden are from three tC
six feet under water. All told, have foul
| dollars in my pocket; all have left in the
| snrld are accounts for medical services
| against nv neighbOrs and those who employ
me as their physician. Some of them have
| told me that the water ia seven feet deep II
their yards, by accurate measurement.
Every practicing physician is ban krupt
| No one of them has money or medicine, mol
is one Of them able to purchase medicine
Whist in the name Of God is to become O
the peOple2
Respectfully, I. J. SPURLoCh.
| NRw ORLEANS, May 5. 1874.
will take the liberty of stating that DR.
Spurlock is an old resident Of the parish o
Avoyelles, who, for many years. was I
large and successful sugar and cottol
planter on the Bayou des Glaizes. He
we'll known to me personally, and his state
ments may be implicitly relied Oh: Tn
Bayou des Glaizes, Bayou Rouge, Bayo'
Jacaue and Bayou Choupique comprise
large portion of the very best agriculture
districts Of Avoyelles, nearly every acre O
which is in the condition described by ID
Spurlock This results from the crevasse
on the Bayou des Glaizes, spoken of by him
The people must have assistance, or suite
all the miseries Of utter destitutfOn.
E. NORTH CULLOM.