Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-07-27

apart, and boils scarce In proportion
to hight and appearance. There is a
very fine country back of this point,
and the people all along up and down
the river have made a heroic fight to
keep up the levees. Even now they
have a large force at work TO repair
breaks and strengthen the old levee.
They seem to be willing to put in
their last dollar, hut the work is really
beyond their means. They can
patch up here and there, but
never maintain an adequate levee
system. There can be no imm'gra-
ton in the nature of things for the
present, for outsiders will not invest
their means in land, however rich,
that is liable to cave in and wash
away with every food. If any system
could be devised by the people or by
the government that would reclaim
this rich alluvisl delta, a new pouula-
ton would pour in, there would be
demand for millions of acres now
lying idle, and this would become
what nature intended it should be,the
greatest cotton producing region on
earth, in proportion to acreage.
Coming on down to Rosedale and
Riyerton, two miles apart, and the
latter place 200 miles from Memphis,
one sees some evidence of the late de-
structive food. 1t was at Rivertou
that FIVE lives were lost and the village
almost sws1t away. The water still
runs through like a little river, and
much Of the back country is under
water or so wet that it has been i'm
possible to plant a crop. When the
FIRST rise came the people all along this
levee for many miles turned out to
resist the coming enemy. At many
points fresh earth was placed on top,
but one fatal night when all
were worn out With working and
watching, a storm came from the
southwest, carried the water over the
top and several breaks occurred at
once. One of these was at Bolivar,
twenty-five miles below Riverton,
where the river also continues to run
through. These breaks, be it remem
bered, always occurred after the water
poured over on the outside Of the levee
and washed away the earth; not, as
some may have supposed, by the
weight and pressure Of the river. The
levees can withstand any food, pro
vided the water does not run over the
top, or sipe through a assure or craw-
fish hole. 1t is estimated that these
breaks flooded a section Of country
having a river front Of thirty-6ve
miles and a depth of twenty-five
miles, or SIS square miles. This re-
gion has remained under water; much
Of it, and scarcely one.tenth of the
usual acreage has been planted in cot
ton. The people, however, are re-
markably hopeful. Even those who
have only half a crop or one-fourth,
are sanguine as to what they are going
to do next year and already laying
their plans. And even those who
have planted nothing will tell you
with an air Of satisfaction how much
their land has been improved and in.
creased in value by the slluvial deposit
Of the food. 1t has truly been said
that hope springs eternal in the heart
Of man. These people are game to the
last, and deserve alike the sympathy
aud admiration of mankind.
This levee district is composed of
four counties, Bolivar, Washington
Isasquena and Sharkey,a and the follow
ing gentlemen constitute the Board
Of Levee Commissioners: Colonel
James F. Stokes, Of Bolivar, Presi-
dent; Colonel Green Clay, of Bolivar;
VIM. Worthington, Of Washington,
Dir. A~tterberry, Of Washington; Mr..
Sam Nelson, Of Issaquena. and Cap.
tain Moore, Of Sharkey. When they
came into Office, six years ago, they
found an empty treasury and a debt &c
shoulder Of half 8 million dollars. By
coed management the debt has beer
paid of and another halt million dol
lars expended on the levees. Al
cotton raised in the district is taxed
four dollars per bale and steamboat
carrying the cotton are required to SCI
that this is paid, 50 that the collection
Of this enormous tax il an absolut
certainty. The people pay it cheer
fully, but still it is insufficient to keel
up the levees.
AIkansaW City is an unfuishe,
town, Of about one thousand inhabi
tants. 1t is partly built on stills an
high water mark can be seen as higI
as a mans head on many Of the houses
The place has three prominent Tea
lures. an immense oil mill that cos
$l50,0W and is owned mostl
BY parties in Memphis; a
an elevator with huge tank near b.
and the railroad machine shops. Th
place has daily railroad communics
ton with Little Rock and other int
rior points, and is destined to be a vel
important shipping point, whether
grows much or not, The foods tn
year caused all improvements to stol
, but as such . rise oUly comes abot
once in a generation it is likely tn,
somebody will 90 ahead and impro,
if not finish the town. 1t is only seye
miles back to the first hills, which al
never subject to overflow. Citizel
| here state that not more than half
: crop is expected in the bottoms, br
! that on the uplands the prospect vi
never better. That there will be
! shorter cotton crop by from on
= fourth to one-halt in the bottom oou
/ try between Memphis and this poi
! may be put down as a fact beyol
] doubt. This is the concurrent tesl
mony Of all classes, merchants, plaE
ers and lAborers. Yet there are.
y usual, considerable differences of opi
ion as to the shortage. What is maI
! will probably be picked cleaner Al
better taken care of than usual.
= the actual loss may not be so gre
after oil. Then it should be RENEE
?. bered that there is more corn plant