The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-11-02
Mississippi Levees.


sity of the people of the gulf states to-
unite with those of the northwest in
sending delegates 10 the convention soon
to meet at st. Paul, whose object is to be
to devise ways and means to induce con-
gress Is build levees on the Mississippi.
We give the following synopsis of Con-
greseman Young's lettez
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 aud material adyan-
tages of these two sections of our country,
as we'll as in. the political unity and
power which should, and will, enable
| them to influence such legislation In re-
! spect to theit mutual interests as they
have a right to demand; and tits equally
true that their joint strergtls ls..sssyi'er',
united in a cooperative effort, can easily
accomplish any public enterprise for their
benefit which they may undertake
Hence it is that | 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 inaugurating by appointing
| delegates to attend their proposed con-
vention on the 1th 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 just right to COM
plain of the unwise parsimony of the gov
ernment in making such scant and
meagre appropriations for the improve
Nnent of the great commercial highway of
the continent, while large sums of money
have for long period of time been an
nually squandered upon small streams OF
little 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 p,
OOO, 900 acres of land, adapted in respect
to climate and popularity 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, ,0OO,0OD
have since that time decreased in value,
until they are how estimated to be worth
only 500, 100000 thus showing an actual
loss in the producing taxable wealth of
the country of something like $3.50, ,O00,
600. 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 otheS
reliable sources of information, it is esti-
mated that the losses sustained in the
overfowed country by the flood of 1874
was not less than $13,000,G00, while the
damage done in the succeeding year,
IS >, reached 80, 900. Thus in two
years the loss OF agricultural products
amounts to more than $50 900 600. Since
1860 there have been great overfows
in the Mississippi and in some
of the streams which are tributary 10 it,
occurring in the years 1862, 1865, 1868,
1871, 1874, 1875 and 1876. While the
losses inflicted by the floods of 1874 and
1875 may not be fair standard by which
to estimate the losses of the other years
enumerated, yet it is estimated in
carefully prepared paper by prominent
merchant in large commercial city, and
which | now have before me, that the
destruction of sugar, rice and other
southern farm products, resulting from
the different overfows since 1869, would
average in full value for each one of
them the sum of $4,000, 900, amounting
in the ggregate-leaving out the present
year-to S4S, 100000. This, added to
the $3.50, 900, 600 of the depreciation in
the value of lands, would make the
enormous sum of $29S, ,O0O, 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 1878 am, united to something over
100000 bales, and we exported for that
wear little more than $3.50, 900 in
value of that commodity. In addition
to this our expectations included manu-
featured goods of cotton fabrics, valued
at S4,O71, 1881, which, added to the
former amount, gives It's the total value of
cotton and cotton manufactures we
sent during the past year to the markets
of other countries the sum of $194,7I
sos During the same year we ex.
ported 362,552 pounds of brown sugar,
worth, in round numbers, S3l Ill; 23,- |
7S0, ,836 pounds of refined sugar, worth
81, ,5S5, ,382; also, 1876, ,995 gallons of mo-
lasses, worth 81. .135, ,995, and lastly, 49,
337 pounds of rice, worth Sl9,S91 max
ing the aggregate value of these few COM
modities of export amount to the sum of
$24S, ,762, ,S25."
Mr.. Young then reviews the good ef- |
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 a similar policy in this
country Commence these great enter
prises and you give useful employment