The Hickman courier., 1877-11-02
Mississippi LeVees.

We give the following synopsis of Con-
gresham Young's letter
1t Is true that the great northwest is
the natural friend and ally of the southern
and gulf states in all that affects the
wealth, prosperity and material advan-
tsges Of these two sections of our country,
as well as in the political unity and
power which should, and will, enable
them to influence such legislation in re-
spect. to their mutual interests as they
have a right to demand; and it is equally
true that their joint strength, when
united in cooperative effort, can easily
accomplish any public enterprise for their
benefit which they may undertake
Hence it is that l would urge upon our
own chamber of commerce, as well as
those of all the gulf and river cities of
>the Mississippi delta, to enter at once
into an active and cordial cooperation
with the people of ST. Paul in the NOV
ment they are einaugurating by appointing
delegates to attend their proposed con-
vention on the 1lth inst, and by direct
ing public sentiment in every other prac-
ticable way to the importance of the
objects they have in view.
The people of the upper Mississippi
river country have a just right to COM
plain Of the unwise parsimOny of the gov
ernment in making such scant and
meagre appropriations for the improve
ment of the great commercial highway of
the continent, while large sums of money
have for a long period of time been an.
alally squandered upon small streams OF
Ntle value or Importance.
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 are likely to come before the national
legislature in the next decade of years.
The region known as the delta of
the Mississippi, and which is subject to
overflow, extends over about eight and
one-half degrees of latitude, is something
over six hundred and fifty miles in length
and about sixty in average width, and
embraces within its limits more than 24,
O00, 900 acres of land, adapted in respect
to climate and peculiarity of soil to the
growth of cotton, sugar and rice, are
ahead of any other quarter OF the globe.
The lands which were in 1860 worth
the large sum of more than $3.50, ,000, 600
have since that time decreased in value,
until they are how estimated to be worth
only 500, 600 900, thus showingan actual
loss in the producing taxable wealth of
the country of something like $250,00O,
0O0 This, it will be seen, only comprises
the direct and actual injury to the landed
property, and does not include the ..agri
cultural products that have been de-
stroyed which it would be impossible to
calculate correctly; but an approximate
estimate may be made.
By calculations made from data fur
nished by chambers of commerce, boards
of trade, and facts obtained from other
reliable sources of information, it is esti-
mated that the losses sustained in the
overfowed country by the food of 1874
was not less than $4,000, 900, while the
damage done in the succeeding year,
1875, reached S10,O0O,O0O Thus in two
years the loss OF agricultural products
amounts to more than $1,000, 600. Since
1860 there have been great Overflows
in the Mississippi and in some
of the streams which are tributary 10 it,
occurring in the years 1862, 1865, 1868,
,1S71, 1874, 1875 and 1876. While the
losses inflicted by the floods of 1874 and
1875 may not be a fair standard by which
to estimate the losses of the other years
enumerated, yet it is estimated in a
carefully prepared paper by a prominent
merchant in a large commercial city, and
which | now have before me, that the
destruction of sugar, rice and other
southern farm products, resulting from
the different overffows since 1869, would
average in full value for each one of
them the sum of $4,000, 900, amounting
in the aggregate-leaving out the present
year-to $4S, 100000 This. added to
the $3.50, 100000 of the depreciation in
the value of lands, would make the
enormous sum of 1928, 900, 900 that has
been subtracted from our material and
active wealth within a period Of fifteen
years, and all resulting from a single
cause. The entire cotton crop for the
year 1875 amounted to something over
100000 bales, and we exported for that
wear little more than $3.50, 100000 in
value of that commodity. In addition
to this our expectations included manu-
factured goods of cotton fabrics, valued
at $4,071 ,3Sl, which, added to the
former amount, gives us the total value of
cotton and cotton manufactures we
sent during the past year to the markets
of other countries the sum of $194, no.
500. During the same year we ex-
ported 362, ,552 pounds of brown sugar,
worth, in round numbers, $31, Ill; 3d.
$50, ,S36 pounds of refined sugar, worth
81, ,5S5, 1882; also, 1875, ,995 gallons of mo-
lasses, worth 81, 1896, and lastly, 279,
987 pounds of rice, worth Sl9,S3l max
ing the aggregate value of these few COM
modities of export amount to the sum of
$24S, 1852, ,825."
Mr.. Young then reviews the good eff
fects the contemplated improvements
would have on the entire country, and
in conclusion says:
"In' seasons of the greatest monetary
want among the people, other govern
ments have carried forward their greatest
public works, and these experiments have
worked the most happy results. am
unable to see any good reason why they
would not follow similar policy in this
country. Commence these great enter
prises and you give useful employment
to many thousands of willing hands and
strong arms that are new folded in idle
ness because there is no field of industry