Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-02-27

nm dusty clods except where sloughsi
, bayous and natural drains penetrate
Captain James tells his friends, how.
ever, that he has no water just now
for his stock, and is hauling it half a
dozen miles for watering purposes.
SNAKES AND DEEP WATER.
Island 4O,known to some old timers
as Beef Island, above Bradley's, is all
under water save a little ridge, and
the water here is as high, perhaps
higher than any previous rise. 1t now
covers the door knobs on the cabins.
! No food of the past has ever gone
higher below Island 40 and about
Bradley's, all owing to the extra
water sent down by the cutoff alluded
to above. Just below the Island is a
place on the Arkansaw shore, most of
which is thirty feet under water, yet in
ordinary seasons is tillable ground. A
road leading through from here to
Marion or Mound City, five miles dis
tant, looks as if it was entirely under
water. 1t certainly is as far as the
eye can see.
A redeeming feature about this
overflow business is that the lands now
under water are of that peculiar and
desirable formation which dries with
wonderful rapidity. Indeed a plow
can follow almost directly behind the
water as it drains off, and this kind Of
land is the most prolific in the world /;
a bale can be made to every
acre of it, and will be if the water does
not stay on longer than the last Of
next month.
Another less pleasing feature about
this swamp region is snakes. They
are to be seen in myriads almost, ok
cept in winter, and just now they are
naturally torpid SO 7 frogs and
toads, and none are either seen or
heard, but they'll turn up in due time.
One would think this overflow would
| drown them out, but it don't. A man
up near 40 tells that at the last over
flow in August, 1876, this place went
under, all except a little ridge, where
his cattle we're placed for safety, and
when he went to feed be had to carry
a hoe to kill the reptiles. There
were water-meccasins, black and
rattle snakes and blue racers
so numerous all over his
cattle ridge that as a precautionary
measure a hoe was needed to chop
them in two. These blue racers are a
long, slender tribe and can run like
the wind. The water moccasin, rattle
and cotton-mouth snakes are very
venomous.
BROKEN LETEEs.
All the way up from Bradley's to
the cutoff traces of the old State
levee can be Q at intervals. 1t
rises here and there like mud Jumps
in the mouth of the river, the bulk
having caved off long ago. Captain
|Fogleman, now gathered to his fathers.
used to own a river frontage in this
vicinity of over twenty miles. He
welded that influence naturally exer-
cised by so large a land owner, and
when the levees were erected caused
them to be run rather too close to the
edge Of the river for their own safety.
1t caused his land to be well protected
for a few years, but now they have
crumbled away, and for many years
have afforded no protection. 1t was a
short sighted policy not to run the
levecs further back. While they lasted
they protected, and will continue to
protect when built high and strong
enough. Indeed, it is surprising to
see how small and himsily constructed
a levee will save large tracts from in
undation in many places.
At several overfowed plantations in
this vicinity the landowners are keep
ing their hands together by feeding
them at a considerable expense for
~provender, and quietly and calmly
await the fall of the waters to begin
farm work and cropping. Az one
point near Fogleman's chute the water
is above any level since 1874, and this
is the case on B%randywine island, so
an old resident states.
A SHORT CUT THROUGH.
Centennial or Devils Elbow cutoff
happened in 1876, nearly five years
ago. At the Pacific Place, where
Charley Morris lived, the water fell
when the rivsr tore through three feet
in one night, and it has never since
rose to the level it used to by several
feet. Morris is on the lower side Of
the old bend, now a lake, not far from
the cutoff, and his farm is partially
affected by water. OF $50 acres
cleared for cultivation more than half
is dry, and Mr.. Morris has no scarcity
of tillable ground to keep himself and
his hands busy. All the places above
Morris on the west side of the river are
dry and clear Of water, except where
bayou and sloughs penetrate. There
is a vast area Of splendid land up in
the region alluded to, and many beau
tiful farms or plantations. Shawnee
Village. Cottonwood Point, and halfa
dozen other landings, serve as ship.
ping places for many owners Of the
very best lands in Arkansaw, all o.
whom were entirely relieved from
overflow by the cutoff at Devils
Elbow.
ANDREWS BEE HIVE.
Above the Devils Elbow cutoff il
Deans Island, of upwards Of 350(
acress, all dry, though it used to get {
soaking now and then in the older
times, before the cutoff. This island
} is the property of Captain J. G.
=, Andrews, who died here last night, al
f but 80 acres or so, and it is better
4, property than half a dozen Colorado
silver mines. Big clearings are
I made, and being made; great
Jpiles of rails and cordwood are t.
f be seen laying all around, and {
A good daal NJ land hos olraody heor