The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-07-14
The Ieyees of the Mississippi.

In Louisiana the 1evee 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 a 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 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 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. sufficed to demonstrate
the fallacy of the "above-overfow"
pretension; the planters mind relin-
quished the delusion that land should
be Mgh,-it was sufficient that it should
be hy,-and the proprietors deemed it
expedient to fortify against their COM
mon enemy. The water-marks 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 engineering science. A make
shift levee 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 levee builders had scarcely made
their appearance in the country. The
colored people are not usually distin-
8uished 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 in
contempt. In 1914, however, the Mis-
sissippi, having apparently lost all
patience with this persistent intrusion
upon its domains, "spread itself" to use
a vulgarism singularly descriptive of
the operation, and treated its unbidden
guests to a first-class "big 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 filled 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.
WdOazi1le