The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-03-09

his own was counterfeit, the boat left with
No. 2, on board. No. saw the game and
then Immediately proceeded to devise
means by which to recover a good half dol
lsr for the bad one; and with this thought
no went to a police court, complained 'hat
an officer had borrowed half dollar from
him and refused to return it. Chief My
ers took the case in hand and soon made
tho fellow acknowledge that he had he'd
and tell the truth about the manner OF his
moneys taking off.
Those people Of Cairo who have not
gone through experience with water worse
than that to which they were subjected
this season do not know what it is to sur
fer from an overflow. They are living in u
Paradise compared to the state of things in
other places south and north Of them. The
officers of the Anchor line steamers have
orders to stop and take aboard all people
along the rivers who are suif ring from wa
ter and wish to be removed, and each boat,
either up or down, for over week past +,
has been called up IN dozens Of time to stop
in her way to take aboard some poor, water
bound person, or family, or animals.
! Only q few days ago the
Steamer City of Helena took aboard u
poor family that had been "drowned out
and were floating down the river on an
open raft. In almost numberless instances,
small farms and large plantations are hidden
from view by the angry waters, the houses
are partially submerged, the family has
been driven to the upper story or to the
garrett and the stock inhabits the plrlors,
sitting room and kitchen below-all with
ratious run low and far away from any city
from which to draw supplies, and from dry
ground upon which TO live and feel secure.
A contemplation of these things should
make the average Cairoite feel dorbly
happy that he or she has escaped the gen
erel flood and is able to enjoy the COM
forts of home in perfect security.
The Argus Of yesterday irdulges in
lengthy criticism Of the proposition that
the city has not the right which city cor
porations generally have and exercise" viz;
the right "to condemn property within
their border for the purpose Of laying out,
widening and STRENGTHENING streets, estab'
fishing public parks etc, where no impera-
tive necessity exists for such work" The.Ar.
gus makes it appear that Mr.. Lansden init.
mated, in his remarks at the Tenth street
hall Monday night, that the city of Cairo
had not the right to condemn the levees
around her and to change and improve
them as might be deemed necessary. In
this the Argus does Mr. Lansden an injus'
tice, for he said nothing of the kind moth
ing even from which such an Inference could
be drawn. What he did say was, in sub
stance, that the levees around the city, cx'
cept the new Mississippi levee, were as
much the property of the Cairo
property company as were the
lots OF any person present that persons
own, and that the city could not compel
the company TO raise or strengthen said
levecs, or hold it responsible for damages
resulting from failure to do So This does
not at all imply that the city could not, by
proving that the possession Of the ievees
we're essential to her welfare, condemn and
purchase said levees and then improve
them as she might deem necessary. How
the Argus man could have inferred such a
thing from Mr. L,nsdrn's remarks it is
difficult to understand The CITY certainly
has tho right to condemn the levees and
then purchase them, provided she can prove
that the possession Of them is essential to
her welfare; but just at present this is not
so much question of right as OF ability
with the city, The city treasury is empty
and the present owners of the levtes w"u d
certainly have q right to demand cash
down." with which demand the city could
not now comply. Under all the circum
stances the best that can be done now (and
The BULLETIN is satisfied it will he done
is to strengthen the levees by mutual CO.
operation all interested unite in protecting
the city against any threatened danger
from the waters.
MJrsIriT