Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-14

at the rate OF eight miles an hour, had .
clean, straight channel, it would
SWEEP EADs's JErTIEs
and everything out of existence. The bends
in the river save it, by checking the current.
If you were TO take away 200 yards here, it
would form a bar three miles long below on
the other side. l believe in letting nature
take her course. 1t won't do to tinker with
the Mississippi. We have had floods before,
but never such a one as this, because there's
been too much fooling with the river thi.
year. Congress may run the government,
but che cam run the Mississippi river. OF
course, we would have had a big flood any
how this year, but it would have gone down
pretty well by this Time"
CONDITION AT NEW
"What was the condition at New Orleans?
"Water. there is higher than it is here at
Memphis. The fact is, the water won't run
into the gull, because the gulf now is higher
than the Mississippi; and as water seeks its
level, it is bound to spread over the country"
"You saw many curious sights on your
trip"
AT Bayou Sara, La, all the business
houses are closed, everything is under water,
and the people are all turned out. The place
is rather high, too, but the water broke in
above it and came up behind. The people
have not had to fight the front at all, but
have been paying their attentions to the at
tack in the rear"
allow about the other points?"
"Well, the hood has played havoc with
Baton Rouge, Greenville and Arkansas City.
Back of the latter place 500 deer were hud-
died together on a single railroad track"
"How is Riverton?"
I'VE were at Riverton, on the way down,
when the break occurred there. The place
is all covered with water. Back of Riverton
there is a single tract of land, about an acre,
which remains uncovered. All the snakes
in Bolivar county have fed 10 this place, and
it is now literally covered with them. One
negro has the courage to live there. Near
Island 90 we saw a lumber OF starving cattle
on a sort of raft eating each other.
A negro there caught a buck deer hat had
swan three miles, and when he took it in
his cabin he had to fight his own cattle to
keep them from eating the deer. He had
finally to compromise with them and throw
large parts of the animal 10 them, they de-
vouring it greedily. 1t is said that fully fifty
negroes have lost their lives near Riverton.
At Terrene the river ia 100 miles wide."-
you saw many sad sights?"
Nothing but restitution everywhere.
Everybody looks detected. Whenever you
meet a fellow his hands are in his pockets
and his head hangs down. To show you to
what straits the people are reduced, the lam
~ lINluS III mduJ u tnt uOOQeu HOUSES
have cut the ~rafters of their floors in
side their homes, and thus allow the floors
to float upward. There are hundreds of
families living IN the floating floors, which
go up and down with the rise and fall of the
When they get pushed up into the
rafters they have to leave. A skiff about
is worth 500. A fellow told me
that he would give five mules for a skiff at
any time, as he couldn't do anything with the
mules at all, and the skiff was always useful.
"You don't think much of aid from Con-
gress, then, to help stop the river?"
"No, sir; Congress appointed a river COM
What has the commission done?
Sent out a lot of engineers to examine the
After a severe and painstaking inquiry,
conducted with great care and solemuity,
they have reported that there are reefs, or
sand rifles IN the bottom of the Mississippi,
when any cub pilot could have told them that
in two seconds. Congress spent about 10000
to find this out. With half the money al
the end of the Mississippi river and let the
water get out"
"You regard the outlook for the South,
hen, as very gloomy"
BIRDS STILL SING.
"For a while there will be great suffering;
put you lust tell the readers of the APPEAL
hat Hays says the South is the greatest |
country in the world, and that the birds will
till sing and the magnolias bloom"
"What ave you been doing in the poetical
inc lately?"
80, not much. Here's a little thing / fred
It the boys on the trip"
Here the colonel pulled the following
,oem from the inner consciousness of his
,oat pocket and presented it to the APPEAL
To the officers and Gre,O Of the Steamer Reuben r.
Springer.
what's that l soc? That greets my sight,
With its immense electric light?
The Reuben Rynus Springer.
he black smoke rolling in a cloud,
.bove her like some mantled shroud,
Ter monster engines belching loud,
The Reuben Rynus Springer.
Ter wheels go pattering down the stream,
nd like a thing of life they seem
o fairly fly, from force of steam,
The Reuben Rynus Springer.
% by the big bell YOU can trace
he outlines of a form and face;
he noblest man Of all his race
The captain of the Springer.
o duty he is never blind,
lie wears a hat-the usual kind
ulled down in front and up behind,
On board the Reuben Springer.
nd of the ladies shy and coy,
lis heart is always full OF joy,
hats Captain Hart, the "Orphal Boy"
Who runs the rafting Springer.
Tho is it makes the whistle yell,
nd az the helm pulls the bell?
Thy, don't you know? That's Joe Purcell,
The pilot OF the Springer.
he gentleman with modest looks,
Tho knows the river like boys do books
lie don't say much. but that's Ike Brooks
JOe's partner on the Springer.
here's Shaw and Humphreys-eaeh a clerk
one as noble as a Turk
iho understand and do their work,
On board the roaring Springer.
here's Hutchinson, who can't be beat
1 keeping his department neat.
give his people lots to eat
While guests upon the Springer.
nd on the lower deck, there stands
man who gives his mild commando
ike Nolan-mate of all the hands,
And 'rousters" on the Springer.
ike has a mild, commanding way
I ordering men, and they obey,
hey never have a word 10 say,
Nor grumble on the Springer.
ow when it comes the steam to make,
nd at the engines makes her quake.
on bet, John Cleveland taxes the cake"
And shoves the rattling Springer.
u engineer of fame and skill,
gentleman of pluck and will,
is place would be right hard to fill,
If John should quit the Springer.
man Ike John, it seems to me,
all I've heard aud all see,
,uld make the Springer climb q tree
The Reuben Rynus Springer.
he chambermaid, Aunt Mary King,
no comes al every beck and rIng,
kind in all and everything
She does on board the Springer.
write this in a strain of fun;
Y pencils gone-my papers done.
list see the Reuben Rynus rum
rafting, roaring Springer.
Having read the poem, the APPEAL scribe
look hands with the dreamy marine poet
I'd walked the plank safely to the shore.
8 he looked lingeringly over the bluff, he
W the sweet singer gazing away over the
'lling waters, and he caught the faintest
hoes OF "Mollie, Darling" and "The Old
entucky Home, whistled as only Will Hays
n whistle. moment more and the vision
as lost to sight and the melody to the ear.
fugdecs! i,
How Women Learn.
Women use Parker's Ginger tonic, because !
Iey learn by experience that it overcomes
Weakness In the back and athsr Z