Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-07-14
The Leyees Of the MississIpuI.

In Louisiana the levee system is Of
comparative antiquity, having had its
beginning in the earlier years of the
eighteenth century, and the embank-
ments long ago came under the juris-
diction of local and State government
and assumed the dignity of public.
works. In Mississippi and Arkansas,
however, the reclamation of the swamp
was an enterprise Of much more modern
date, having its origin almost within
memory of persons now living, and at
first-and, indeed, for long time-it
was exploited solely by individual effort.
The earlier settlements on the river
between Memphis and Vicksburg-
generally wood yards with small appur
tenant corn-felds-were made upon un-
usually high spots, which, although
really formed by antecedent inundation,
obtained, absurdly enough, the reputa-
tion of being above overflow" because,
for number of years, they had not been
actually submerged. They were priced
accordingly, and the corn-fields Of the
wood-choppers were gradually trans
formed into cotton plantations, at first,
of course. of very limited dimensions
Similar elevated spots were sought out
and subjected to culture, and, before
any leveeing operations had been at
tempted, the river bank on both sides
was dotted with settlements of pioneer
planters, who sought to utilize the
fertile soil by cultivation. A very few
years, however, suficed to demonstrate
the fallacy of the ssabove-overhow''
pretension; the planters mind relin-
quished the delusion that land should
be high, lit was sufficient that it should
be dry, and the proplietors deemed it
expedient to fortify against their COM
mon enemy. The water-marks left by
the food upon trees, stumps, audiences
were as plain as paint these indicated
the level of the water and supplied the
want of engineering science. A make
shift leyee of primitive style was con-
structed, very near the river bank, be-
cause less land was thereby thrown out,
and because the ground is always
highest upon the margin of the river,
sloping thence inland. AS the planta-
tions increased In number and approx
mated each other, the principle Of CO.
operation appeared; levees were built
across unoccupied lands until there were
disconnected strings ten, twelve, or
fifteen miles long. The construction
Of these was far from satisfactory. The
operatives were generally the plantation
negroes. At that time the Irish ditchers
and leYee builders had scarcely made
their appearance in the country. The
colored people are not usually distin-
guished for their skill in the use of the
spade, and cannot at all compete with
the Hibernian. Some years there was
high water, carrying dismay to the
planters heart some years there was
low water, inspiring confidence and
security occasionally there was no
water at all the river did not get out
Of its banks, and was therefore held III
contempt. In 1874, however, the Mis-
sissippi, having apparently lost all
patience with this persistent intrusion
upon its domains, spread itself, (" to use
vulgarism singularly descriptive Of
the operation, and treated it's unbidden
guests to frst-class ebig overflow, .
the Like of which had not been seen
since 1928. The river rose early and
went down late; it overfowed the
whole country, and filed up the entire
swamp ruined all the levees, great and
small; remained at or near high-water
mark week after week and month after
month until late in July, and did not
finally retire within its banks until
nearly the middle Of August. -Scyibne,'s s
MagdSisse.