Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-30
The Leyees of the Mississippi.

From an illustrated article by Vim. L. Murfree,
Sr,. in Scribner for July.
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 proclamation. of the swamp
was an enterprise of much, more mod
ern date, having its origin almost with
in memory of persons now living, and at
first-and, indeed, for a long time-'it
was exploited solely by individual eff.
fort.
The earlier settlements on the river
between Memphis and Vicksburg-gen-
orally wood yards with small appurte-
nant cOrA-felds-were made upon unu-
.sually high spots, which, although really
formed by antecedent inundatiOn, OBJ
tanned, absurdly enough, the reputation
of being above overflow" because, for
a 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 cut
and subjected to culture, and, before
any leveeing operations had been at
tempted. the river bank on both sides
tua nff I'D Sol lar Of .,fsN
planters, who sought to utilize the fer
tile soil by cultivation. A very few
years, however, Sfficed to demonstrate
the fallacy of the "abOve-uvertiow" pre-
tension; the planters. mind reiiRquished
the ,delusiOn thai land should be high!-
it was sufficient that it should be dry
and the proprietOrs deemed it expedient
to fOrtify against their common enemy.
The water-nlarks left by the flood upon
trees, stumps. and fences were as plain
as paint these indicated the level of the
water and supplied the want of engi-
neering science. A make-shift levee of
primitive style was constructed very
near the river bank, because less land
was thereby thrown out, and because
the ground is always highest upon the
margin of the river, sfoping thence in
land. As the plantations Increased in
number and apprOximated each other,
the principle of cooperation appeared; !;
leyees were built across unoecupied
lands until there were disconnected
strings, ten, twelve, or fifteen miles long
The construction of these was farfrOm
satisfactory. The operatives were gem
orally plantation negroes. A that time
a Trick .a,,I l1no.c h.,1
scarcely made their appearance in the
country. The colOred people are not
usually distinguished 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 tine 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 there
fore held in contempt. In 1874, howev-
er,. the Mississippi, having apparently
lost all patience With this peEistentsin-
trusiOn upon Its domains, spread itself,
to use a yulgarism singularly descrip-
tive of the operation. and treated its un-
hidden guests TO fiEst-elass "big over
tiow," the like of which had not been
seen since 1928. The river rose early
and went down late; it overfiowed the
whole country; and filled up the entire
swamp; ruined all the eleVees, great and
small remained at or near high-water
mark week after week and month after
month until late in July, and did not f.
nally retire within its banks until near
ly the middle of August.