The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-05-01
The Southern Floods.

Accounts from Louisiana, Arkansas and
other Southern States continue to give par
ticulars of the widespread devastation caused
by the floods in the valley of the Mississippi
A telegram from Monroe, La, dated April ~
says: at is impossible to give al idea of the
extent of the overflow here. The water is
higher than was ever known. The town il an
island two and half miles long by half mile
wide. from which there IL no exit except by
boats, or by swimming. People living III the
rear have been driven in. All the vacant
houses are taken and several families are liv-
ing in the Court-House. Business is almost
completely suspended but the houses are
open. Fully ZOO people in the town have not
rations for three days. nor money to buy one
Stock Of every kind is gathered in the town
and starving. Trenton is under water from
Crossleys residence up beyond the business
houses OF the town, frGm six inches at the
foot of the principal street, on the river bank.
to eight feet in the rear. There are no crops
to speak of, and there have not been five DAYS
work done along the river in four weeks.
What the people are to do, God only knows"
Capt. Blanks, an old Ouachita river steam
boatman. in letter to the New Orleans Relief
Committee, estimates the number of people
in actual want on the Ouachita alone at IL 600.
This number have been under water over
three weeks. They lost all their hogs and
Kanawha rivers, to n point in West Virginia.
thence by canal and slack-water or by
freight railway to tide water.
Fourth route from the Mississippi river
ria the Ohio and Tennessee river to point
in Alabama or Tennessee, and thence by canal
and slack-water, or by freight railway to the
ocean.
TIE committee estimate the cost of the i'm
provement of the Mississippi river at SIC
600, 600 of the Northern route. including the
nd WiSCOnSin
pin canal, and enlargement OF the New York
canals the cost is estimated at so. 600. 900 of
the central route, including the radical i'm
provement of the Ohio river to give six or
seven feet Of navigation at low water, and Of
the Kanawha river to give six feet of water
s2j, 200, 000 and the connection by canal or
freight railway to tide-water in Virginia a
canal to cost S55, 600, 600, or railroad S25,-
000 600.
OF the Southern route the Improvement of
the Tennessee river to give three feet of
navigation, and the construction of a canal
or freight railway TO the Atlantic Ocean at a
cost respectively of $4,000, 600 or S30O00,-
600. Ii canals be constructed the total cost
will be about 1855, 000,0 600. III tho railways
be chosen the total cost Will be about s120,-
600, 600. An actual expenditure of from
$40, 900, 900 to s25, 000, 900 per annum will be
required for six years. when the whole work
can be completed. The resulting benefits
will for all time annually repay more than
the entire cost. But i am asked how the
money is to be raised for these improve
ments l reply, by a system of rigid economy
in all expenditures not absolutely necessary,
by which nearly enough can be saved for this
purpose.
Secondly the issue of public improve
ment bonds, or, third, by taxation if the
latter policy be adopted; l suggest that
restoration Of the tax on tea and cof-
fee will produce about $50, 900, 900 per annum,
which will be sufficient to complete the entire
work in six years. The repeal of that tax has
caused but little, il any, reduction in the cost
of this article. and its restoration would not
materially increase it. At the end of six years
the tax could be repealed, and these great
public works would stand forever as monu-
ments to the wisdom Of the present Congress.
do not believe, however, that it would be
necessary either to issue bonds or to levy adj
dtional taxes.
The Inauguration OF the system of internal
improvements indicated would 80 stimulate
the business energies Of the country that We
would find il easier to raise the additional
revenue required than it now is to meet exist
ing obligations.