The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-19
improvements OF the MIssis-
SIppi.

A recent communication from Hon.
Casey Young, VI c, on the subject CT
improving the lower Mississippi by
evees to prevent overflow in time OF
lreshcts, and deepen the channel Of
he river for the benefit of navigation,
inland and fsreigu commerce, is at
tracting attention The Chamber OF
commerce OF St. Prul, Miup-, has
raken action in the matter, and lhe
movement is likely to be general.
ur Young says:
The region known as the delta"
f the Mississippi. and which Is sub
iect 10 overflow, extends about eiEhi
nd one half degrees Of latitude l.
-emething over six hundred aud fifty
miles in length sud about sixty IN
average width, sad embraces within IT.
limits more than 24,000 600 acres oil
land, adapted in respect to climate ana
regularity of soil to the growth OF
cotton. sugar and rice. far ahead o.
any other quarter Of the globe. These
ands halt a century ago lay IN an
almost unknown aud impenetra0ie
wilderness, with but little of 1t ~
cultivation By a few hardyedfed
adventurous pioneers, Wh9 the lake.
along the gull sbdfssiana. They were
and bay9Tted to be worth no more
asn IS. 600, 600, but IN 1850, when
less than 5, 600, 600, acres were protect
ID by partial system of levees. their
value had enhanced, as computed IN
he statistics of that year, to the sum
of s36S, O53 $40 an increas of 1860,
100000 in about forty years.
That the enhanced value of the
lands will pay many times over for
The enbankmeuts required to prevent
their overflow, we have no doubt.
What will it cost to construct levees
on both sides Of the Mississippi for
$50 miles, that will stand without break
or harm, its greatest freshets? On this
point Mr.. Young says:
Gen A. a. Humphrey,ethe preser t
distinguished chief of engineers OF
the United States army, IN his learned
aud valuable work upon the Miss
issippi river and tributaries, estimates
the cost of system of Ievees which
would fully protect the entire over
flowed country at forty five million
dollars, and certainly no sum invested
by the Government in any public
enterprise ever brought so large
proportionate return as this would I
produce. Enterprises like this one
have been undertaken and successfully |
prosecuted by other nations at a cost I
greatly 10 excess of the figures I have I
mentioned, and yet they have yielded I
the richest return. The waters OF I
of the Rhine, the Alige, the VoIga I
and the Po were formerly wont in /
seasons Of high tide to rise above their
banks and overflow the adjacent
country, rendering it useless for
cultivation. But the Governments OF
The countries through which they
flow, wiser than ours has proven itself
10 be. long ago made it national
undertaking, aud erected those great
works which now hold within their
bounds the swelling flood which
would otherwise sweep oyer the low
lands, carrying destruction in it,
pathway.
Putting the delta laads to be protect
ed at twenty four million acres, and
the cost of embankments forty
FIVE million dollars, it will be seen
thatthe expense is less than two dollars
per acre. Now, a profit Of ten dollars
per acre year on this rich slluvial
land, secure from food, is not a high
estimate