The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-10-11
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MISSISSIPPI LEVEES.

commerce in which he urges the neces-
slty of the people OF the Cult States TO
mite with those Of the northwest IN de-
vising ways and means TO induce cons
gress to build levees Oh the Mississippi
river. The following is synopsis of Mr..
Young's letter. He says;
IL Is true that the great Northwest is
the natural friend and ally of the south-
ern and gull states in all that affects the
wealth, prosperity and material adyan-
tages of these two sections of our coun'
try, as well as the political unity and
power which should, and will enable
them to influence snch legislation in
respect to their mutual Interests rs they
| have O right TO demand; and il is equally
| true that their joint strength, when unit
ed IN cooperative effort, can easily &C
complish any public enterprise for their
benefit which they may undertake.
Hence itis that would urge upon our
own chamber OF commerce, as well ~
those OF all the gulf and river cities OF
the Mississippi delta, to enter at onceinto
an active and cordial cooperation with
| the people OF st. Paul in the movement
they are inuguratiug by appointing dele
| gates TO attend their proposed conven-
| ton on the 18th instant, and by direct
| ing public sentiment in every other
practible way to the importance OF the
objects they have in view.
Mr.. Young says the people of the up
per Mississippi river country have a just
cause for complaining against the unwise
parsimoney ofthe governmental making
such scant and meagre appropriations for
the improvement Of the Mississippi, while
large sums are annually expended upon
small streams oflittle value orimportance.
Mr. Young continues:
The safe and unobstructed navigation
of the Mississippi river and its tributary
streams throughout their entire length
and the protection from inundation of
the opulent alluvial delta through which
they flow, are matters of more public
moment and Importance than any Others
that ale likely to come before the Nation
: al Legislature inthe next decade OF years
The region known as the "dclta" Of
! the Mississippi, and which is subject to
overflow, extends over about eight and
: one-hali degrees of latitude, Is something
over SIX hundred and fifty miles in length
aud about sixty in average width, and
embraces within Its limits more than II,
, OUU U00 OF acres OF land, adapted in re-
spect TO climate and peculiarly OF soil &c
the growth OF cotton, sugar and rice, tai
ahead Of any other quarter of the globe.
The land3 which wereln 1860 worth tht
: large sum OF more than $500, 900, 200 have
, | since that time decreased in value, until
they.are now estimated to be worth only
500 900. 600, thus showing an actual los;
& IN The producing taxable wealth OF the
- country of something like $3.50 ,000,00
This, 1t will be seen, only comprises I'll,
u direct and actual injury to the landed
I property, and does nor include the agri
cultural products that have been destroy
> ed, which ii would be impossible to cal
culate correctly; but an approximate cs
innate may be made.
BY calculations made from data fur
nished by chambers of commerce, board
K of trade, and facts obtained IRON othe
: reliable sources OF information, IL is est
mated that the losses sustained in tn
overlooked country by the food OF 1877
y was not less than 100000, while tn
y damage done in the succeeding veal
y 1875, reached Sl0,00v,000. Thus is wv
q years the loss OF agricultural product
" amounts to more than $20,000,000. Sine
J. 1860 there have been seven great over
C flows in the Mississippi and in some {
y the streams which arc tributary to 1t, OF
, curing in the years 1862, 1865, lSGS, 1877
1874, 1876 and 1876. While the losses il
q tlicted by the floods of 1874 and 1875 ma
i not be n fair standard by which to est
!, mate the losses of the other years enum
: Grated, yet it Is estimated in CAREFUL
u prepared paper by prominent merchar
S In large commercial city, and which
s now have before me, that the destructlo
q Of cotton, sugar, rice and other souther
farm products, resulting from the diffe
y ent overflows since 1860, would averag
9 in full value for each one of them I'll
|. sum OF $S,000,000, amounting
= the aggregate-leaying out IL
present year-to SIS, 100000. This, ado
e ed to the $3.50 900, 900 of the deprectatio
G In the value of lands, would make the eI
y ormous sum OF $29S, 900 900 that has bee
sublracted from our material and acti,
wealth within a period of fifteen year
i. and all resulting from single caus
=. The entire cotton crop tor the year 1Si
s' amounted to something over 4,000,0(
NJ bales, and we exported for that year
at little more than $3.50, 100000 in value
"a, that commodity. In addition to this OF
expectations included manufacture
he goods OF cotton fabrics, valued at $i,07l
OF 3Sl, which, added to the former amour
at gives lis the total value Of cotton and co
4 ton manufactures we sent during the la
w year to the markets OF other countries II
Is sum of $l9i,7l0, 500. During the sam
1T year we exported 362,552 pounds {
10 brown sugar. worth, In round numbers
"a $3l,lll; 23,7S0,S36 pounds OF refine
y sugar, worth 50, $50, 1882; also, 1876, so
- gallons of molasses, worth 81, 1875 ,99i
g and lastly, 270,337 pounds OF rice, wort
:. $l9,s3l; making the aggregate value {
;. these few commodities Of export amour
. to the sum of SEAS, 782, $780,"
u Mr.. Young then reviews the goo
y effects the contemplated improvement
Il would have on the country, and COZ
1t cludes by saying:
:. "In seasons OF the greatest monetar
II want among the people, other govern
ments have carried forward their creates
public works, and these experiment
y have worked the most happy results.
= am unable to see any good reason VIII,
!" they would not follow similar policy i
10 this country. Commence these great en-
d terprlses and you give employment I
: thousands OF willing hands aud stron
" arms that are now folded in idlenes
II because there IL no field of industry i
x which they can labor. II we bu
v foster and build up the grea
:, industries OF our section and d.
d" velop its boundless resources, we sha
G be rich and prosperous beyond parable
0. In the history Of aoy people on earth
n. Now that those exciting and exasperai
ing questions that had their birth In sec
:, tlonal anilnosltles and partisan hostilit,
III are. In Some mpa eilra mn pu npt nf A o.,