The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-05-13
Our Overlooked Districts
Condition of Affairs in the Seventh and
Eighth NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of RAJ
tions--Loss of stoclr-Levecs
and Fences.
EIGHTH WARD,

Eighth NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of RAJ
tions-Loss of stoclr--Levees
and Fences.
EIGHTH WARD, q
Ascension, La, May 8, 1882.
Having sect request in your paper
for intelligence from the overaowed dis
tricts Of the parish, l have thought, al
though late, to give youa slight sketch
of the condition Of affairs here from my
own personal observation and informa-
ton derived from reliable sources. The
present flood has been quite capricious as
to helghttl, compared to other floods
For instance, the water has not been as
high at Hope Villa us it was in 1874, by
13 inches; was two feet higher on lower
New River and three and half feet
higher at Dutch Stores; was within nine
inches of high water mark of 1862 at
Dutch Stores, but lacked eighteen inches
of 1862 mark on lower New River. This,
taking into consideration the fact that
lower New River is opposite the Landry
crevasse and was flooded by it before the
Arizona break, shows ii strange freak of
the flow Of water. Again, the water was
higher by several inches-und is ye5--oD
the lowlands of East Baton Rouge bor-
slering upon Bayou Fountain, Wards
Creek and upper Mancbac than it was
in 1874 and 1862, when the break oc-
Cured at McHatton's in their immediate
vicinity.
The water has at last taken down.
ward tendency, the decline averaging
now z of an inch every twenty-four
hours. It has fallen Ii inches at Hope
Villa and II at Dutch Stores, but at
present rate it will be several weeks be-
fore wo are entirely relieved; then it will
require ten to fifteen days more for
evaporation to render the land dry
enough for blowing and planting. This
state Of affairs is making many that
were hopeful on account of the food oc-
curing so early in season that the water
would subsitle time enough to plant and
make a fair crop, extremely doubt full,
Respondent and gloomy.
There have been no cases of actual
suffering that know of in the Surround
ing country, though many people have
taken refuge here on our highlands, but
the rations forwarded to Hope Villa
helped great many that were really in
need. Now, as to the number to which
these rations were distributed, I can say
from personal knowledge and from infor-
nation derived from Trustworthy sources
fully one-half or three fourths of the
three separate lots Of rations were dis
tributed to persons living on New River
and vicinity. There are some murinur-
ings of dissatisfaction about the rations,
not that they were misapplief, but some
thought they wero not in proper hands
| and capital was sought to be made ont
of the distribution. Although lower New
| River has not experienced as high water
as the upper portion and the Brnsle
Bluff and Manchac regions-some por-
ton OF land not having been inundated
and great many places being now sntfi-
| GENTLY relieved Tor the people to resume
| flrming-yet they have been greater
| sufferers in the loss of stock. Horses
and cattle driven out to the highlands OF
t!,o fyalx Al Ian, hay,
to 60 back and been drowned, and many
| cattle have gone back to the edge OF
| water and died Of starvation or the at
tachs of gnats, mosquitoes and flies, and
| those that have survived so far are mere
skeletons Of what they We're when driven
out. Many hogs collected on the high
| banks of New River have died, evidently
of some disease, as they were very fat.
The manly, bold and patriotic message
Of the President in relation to levees has
caused ray of hope to permeate among
the overtiowed settlers, and it only re
| W. are all proud that our present mem
Der is exerting himself to put into prac
tice the views as expressed in the spec;a
message Of his ExceIency.
We out here are much Interested i.
mooted stock and fence law. | see the
monthpiece Of the dominant party in ths
Legisia ture has spoken oatorIfffy Of til,
needs and wants Ct property owners
and boldly advocates the enactment o
a law at the present session of tic Legis
lature to abolish fencing, except fo
stock only. will venture the prediction
if there is such a law passed, they viii
dig their own political graves and til,
people will cover them with odinn
beyond redemption, regeneration or res
direction. NOUS VERRONS.
"A sguabble over the Office of Pos
master at Washington, La, has ended in
the appointment of Mr.. Z. P. Goodwin
who is endorsed by the Argus as q com
potent and acceptable official, a!thongl
Republican and therefore opposed
politically to the paper complimentin!
him. The action of Postmaster Gener;,
Howe in the premises is warmly com
mended by the Argus.
]. Morgan City is not inaptly dnbbe'
"The American Venice" by the Gretn
Courier.
Frank Ieslie's Sunday Magazine.
The June number abounds with brillian
and liollY interesting contributions BY til