Smyrna times., 1882-05-10
For the Smyrna Times.
Letter From the West.


DEAR TIMEs:-Rambling about one sees
a great deal, but out of the mass, wonders
what would be of interest to your readers:
the thought occurred that inundations and
Overflows would interest some that look
with indifference upon current events
\ ride of $50 miles in the Valley of the
Mississippi, above st. Louis, showed
that the waters had reached from four to
six feet, hut the telegraph reports rise
OF ten 10 twelve feet in the head waters
i'll Minnesota, Dakota and Montana. Pos
sibly some influence from that, but more
probably from the heavy falling rain was
swelling the Father of Waters until it |
again was running through the lower
lni'Is into the country back that lays |
lower than the land along the margin of
the river. This may seem strange to some
; but the fact is familiar to the dwellers in
the great valley that there is deposit of
earth, out of the murky waters slowly but
surely eleVating the strand only to he
swept away by freshets and ever changing
channels.
The leyees or artificial banks usually
eight feet at top and sixteen at bottom
have been cut and largely carried away
by the raging floods. The precedent
mostly cited is the high water of 1S44
The upper stations have not reached it
4 as a rule, but the lower or southern sta
l tions have gone quite above it. The
{ highest water line TO me was Il mark of
unabating interest. as it could everywhere
& lie seen by the discooration it produced
IS OH the houses, buildings and trees. and
l. where possible Judgements of drift had
a caught or been left on an elevation
=" What a vast region of miles of deserted
= farms and HON steads. Houses without
2" inhabitants. They looked like once happy
homes where the voice of merry childhood
had been heard, now standing in desoIa-
; ton. In that valley, to-day, there are no
:, echoing voices, no bleating herds, no con
verting plows. and no growing grain.
But there is the water line so visible that
months of time will not erase it, possibly
it was at the top Of the front door, more
: favored locations, not 50 high. Wonder is
aouse whose underpining has been
WasAod Gut by il strong. sweeping current,
and it Is wing Oh its side there is another
whose windows have been filed by drift
wood and the walls crushed in; there is a
- stable almost demolished, bug holding a
portion of well soaked provender; there i:
a clump Of stalWart trees that steamed
'' the food and in their strength have held
. . massive pile Of drift in which l see {
gate, bureau drawer or piece of a chair
over there is q barrel whose only content.
is a part Of the murky waves that bore i
there. Not always can the stately tree!
- withstand the flood for yesterday saw
some as large as these quite undermined
and rolled into the stream with their net
work Of living roots washed as clean a
parsAips for Il noon repast. Some place
of large area look almost dry enough t
: invite the plowman back again but the ex
periGIce Of two freshets in one year Fal
20 and Spring have left too bitter an exper
fence as some say, TO want to ever Sc
~ that spot again. But you say will peopl
:" :, ever go again and risk SO dire fate, ah
nv -. what is the history of the past Wher
: won't men go for pelf and gain? Tha
" Io' wealthy soil is now so copiOusly enriched b
'"' the alluVial deposit from the floods tha
half century will not see any decreas
9"' in its magnificent yield. Besides, fiftee
% years usually roll between and before tina
time arrives will make my stake an
VI skip out of the way of the floods" Thu
to many it is but an ordinary risk th
." plowman will turn that soil again, and tn
rattle of the reaper will be heard gather
"o ing its golden grain. The past is 500
forgotten and new men will enter upO
the scene. but not while the wire bring
intelligence Of coming floods from til
~" mountains Whetker the present hig
ms stage of water is an advanced installncT
~" of the annual June rise is not for any ma
''i to know, but l should scarcely think
III was because that is the result of the mel
esS ing snow in the mountains finding its wa
to the sea.
= We left the grand old valley and toe
,, the Hannibal & ST. Joseph railroad aero
Lo,, the State to the latter named city th
col stands on the muddy Missouris brin
! of Midway. at the pleasant town of Brool
.,,o field, where so many Delawareans resid
, westOpped to visit friends and had gener
r.b greeting, and we presume the readers
;o,1 the TINES would like to read their nam
,ver and we beg their pardon for taking Il
III. liberty to mention them: Enoch Needle
20 of Camden, relation of James r. Clemer
tho of Smyrna; Richard Clement and famil
ohio of Beaver Dams; the widow, two grow
&C SONS and daughters of Joshua Richa
II 10 Clement; Joseph Palmer and family
win Leipsic; Ex-Sheriff S. Hargadine al
family; Silas Snow and family; jose
men V. Hoflecker and family. They are
oles well and prospering, the older ones ha
anlv renewed their youth, and the young
,uob ones have most grown out of knOwleds
her They are all using commendable ener
mon and working up to the hilt. The ];
n to named gentleman had 40 acres of CO
med nicely planted by the Goth inst. If the
# nc is anything in the old Indian adage Il
mora the oaken leaf should be as large as
b on squirrels foot before the planting, til
go; Joseph's energy is pressing on the seas