Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-27
MEMPHIS TO ARKANSAW CITY.
A Pleasant Trip on the Steamer
Dean Adams.
Crop PFOspects-WOrk ON Levoes
and Spirit Of the People.
AnkANsAw CIrY, ARK., Jolly Is, lssa.

round trip on the Dean Adams, inter
viewed as many of the people as posi-.
BILE, grouped all available facts and
made an intelligent report of the
condition of affairs on both sides Of
the river between Memphis and this
point, a distance of 254 miles. That
was over two months ago. There was
s. second rise, which has not yet sub
sided, but the time has come when it
is possible to form some estimate Of
the crop to be made and to arrive at a
conclusion as to the prospects and
feelings of the people who suffered so
much by the overflow. This is q
matter Of interest, not only to Mem.
pbis, but to the whole country. 1t is
a big subject, attracting the attention
of the government and the ablest
minds Of the day.
The people of this part of the great
Mississippi valley are peculiarly stu
ated. Numerically they have but
little voice in the Legislatures Of MIS-
sissippi and Arkansaw. There is not
much affinity or community of interest
between the people of the bottoms and
the uplands. Sitting at the table, last
night, | heard this matter very vigor-
ously discussed by an old Mississippian
Of distinguished appearance and fluent
tongue. he was talking to a younger
man, who might have been old enough
to be in the Confederate army. 1t
began about Chalmers, whose course
the younger mar rather condemned.
well, | am not so certain but what
Chalmers is right" said the solid
looking old gentleman; anyhow, |
admire his pluck, and think l shall
vote for him. Here we are helpless in
the bottoms, where | have lived for
thirty-fve years. | was born and
reared in the hills Of this State, but
the people there and their members
in Congress, some Of them, are against
us. They allow Us the privilege of
taxing ourselves to build such levees
as we can, but when it comes to the
school money, which we need to edu-
cate the children, white and colored,
they take the excess we pay and dis
tribute it out per capita over the State,
so as to make US educate the
children of poor counties that pay but
little taxes. "Then, sir, begad," said
the speaker, as be warmed up, what
in the heavens did the Northern Dem
ocrats ever do for US? They are
always just about to do something but
never quite do it. They want us to
keep up a solid South and get all the
abuse for it. while they reap the bene-
fits, if there are any. The time seems
to have come when we must take care
of ourselves. 1t strikes me that We
should accept aid from anybody that
viii give il. Arthur is the first Presi-
dent 70 come to our assistance, and |
an willing to trade of a few eosgress-
men for some leVees and take the
chances" This, and much more. the
elderly citizen said, but the younger
one did not altogether concur. The old
mez are not always Bourbons in the
South as often charged,and sometimes
the young men are even as in Tennes-
see. Both of these gentlemen got Of
in the night. though at different land.
ings, without knowing that a news
paper man could not help hearing
their conversation.
Leaving Memphis yesterday even
ing at five o'clock the boat was neaI
New Australia, q distance Of l63 miles
at sunrise this morning. Nothing il
particular was to be seen; q passenge
or two went ashore and some freigh
was quietly discharged. The Hex
place of interest was Laconia, fv
miles below. This q noted plae
which takes the name Circle" from
private levee, l8 miles in circumfer
cree, within this are 1000 acres I
cleared land. The floods, hogeye,
fuined the levee and there are nc
more than 1900 or 1900 acres in cotto
this year and out little corn. I'll
most that can be expected is a three
fourths crop. Should a frost come b
fore the first of October, there wi
not be more than halt a crop. Sue
is the opinion Of persons living in Il
Circle. The food was very destructi,
to cattle here. Over 1900 hides take
from drowned cattle were shipp,
from this point, and but loE the a
rival OF government r%atiOns, WIFI
demoralized the labor, the hide bu,
ness would have been much large
The most Of the mules survived, b
In such pitiable condition that th
are barely fit to be used in making
slim crop. just above and outside
the circle q few planters have tOleE
bly, fair prospects of a crop. But 1
the break which occurred below l
COMA, at Uonoordia, and let out a VI
volume OF water into the Sunhow
region, the ruin of all this neighbC
hood would have been nearly Co
plete.
There is much talk about restori
the private levee, but no action |
been taken. Some are in favor
raising money under the levee act
taxation, but this is opposed, a
would probably be contested in I
courts. Others are in favor of raisi
means by subscriptions and Civ.
mortgages on the land for seeuri
but this IS not agreed to by oil, and
the undertaking drags along. II VI
is not commenced by the LIST
January, it is almost cert
that much Of the labor will seek G
ployment elsewhere.
The next place Of Importance
Concordia. and Carson's Landi
nearly opposite on the Mississi
side. These two places are yirtua
the same. being only a few hundl
yards apart, and incorporated UNI
the name Of Concordia. The b
stopped here over an hour, to put