Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1882-04-25
IMPOVERISHED PLANTERS.

flowed Sections of the Mississippi
Valley.
Special TO Chicago Times.
HELENA, ARK, March 31.-Letters
are coming in from every direction TO
the commissioners, asking for rations
anu aid. The supplies left here by
the steamer Gen. Barnard last night
are being distributed to the needy and
sent to points of local distribution.
The following letter from the sunk
lands was received today by Commits
sioner Mangum, and is fair sample
of scores of appeals which every mail
brings him:
MARKED TREE, March 21, 1882
The sunk lands Of Arkansas are in
terrible condition. At this date the
overflowed district passing through
here is fifty seven miles wide, and
there is not vestige Of land to be seen.
Houses are washed away. Some peo-
pie have lost from chickens up, and
now starvation stares them in the face.
Unless something is done soon, l fear
they will resort to rougher means to
appease their hunger. One man,
Mr.. HOgg, was drowned not many days
ago, leaving an invalid wife and nine
children, all girls, in fearful state Of
destitution. l am doing all 1 can to
relieve the people. tore up my trad
ing boat in order to make RATS for peo-
pie to get out of their houses with.
If you will see the relief committee
and have provisions sent to this place
in my care. will exert my best efforts
to have the same distributed at once.
/ would come down, but am at present
complaining of rheumatism. Please
do what you can, and send goods to
Marked Tree Landing, St. Francis river,
and you will confer a lasting favor on
the inhabitants of this district.
/ am yours, ETC.,
G. w. WATSON.
Thomas Scaife, colored, who lives
on Coffee Creek, Big Creek township,
was in to-day with two hundred pounds
Ofdried venisOn for sale on this market.
He has killed ninety-nine deer and four
bears, and, but for the overflow, would
have but little to report, as the animals
had been driven to his place and the
country adjoining by the flood in large
numbers. He is one of the most pros
porous colOred men in Arkansas, and,
as a hunter and fisherman, makes more
than the average farmer. He owns
his own farm, and has good residence,
Clubhouse, and improvements suitable
for a well-to-do tiller of the sell.
Capt. G. G. Mullins, in command of
the steamer Gen. Barnard, was visited
last night by The Times correspond
ent, and related his experience in the
way Of dispensing relief. He said he
had seen enough to convince him that
the condition of the people of the Mis-
sissippi valley was something too ter
rible to truthfully and reasonably de-
scribe. While he had not visited the
interior, and had not the opportunity
of a personal examination of the field
below Helena, yet he had taken much
pains to learn all he could OF the real
situation, and had studied the over
Cow in its present serious and future
effect. 1t was great question to his
mind what the people are to do when
the water shall so down. The fences
are gone, many Of the buildings de-
stroyed, and the stock either dead
or absolutely worthless. AT one
place he had seen the people
cutting off the tops of trees and bushes
to feed their stock, and has seen the
poor, starving animals wheel round
and round and stagger about in their
vain efforts to walk. The mules upon
one place looked as though they might
be able to pull plow over the ground,