Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-03-22
AUSTIN, MISS.
Several DrOwRings = Floating
Carcasses of Animals.
Stock Dying-The Great Plague Of
Gnats.
Scarcity OF Cotton Seed, Crop
Prospects, Etc.
AUSTIN. Mss. March q. ,s2.

AUSTIN, Mss March q, '82.
EDITOR LEDGER-Since my last,
the water at this point has fallen about
fourteen inches, and continues to fall
at the rate Of about two inches per
day. During a late trip in dugout.
up to and a short distance beyond
Benefits Landing, | remarked that
the water flowing through the cre-
vases in that vicinity, and through
those as far south as Mhoon's Landing,
spreading over the country and run
ming southeast, would again flow back
into the river, through crevasses, four
and six miles south of Mhoon's, and
again through the breaks at Austin
over the country. | learned of several
deaths from drewning-two on the
Bayne and johnson, one ON the
Mhoon's and one on the Saunders, i,
places. Through the woods numbers
of carcasses of mules, hogs and COWS
could be seen floating. OF the stock
that is left, many are dying from vari-
Gus causes, but chiefly from the an-
noyance Of gnats. This plague was
never known to exist so numerously
and with such fatal effect. Our town
is full Of stock Of all kinds, and in the
yards and streets are smothered heaps
of fires, made for the purpose of
smoke, and around these little smoking
heaps are huddled mules and COWS,
driven there by the gnats. There is
some dissentiOn among our people,
regarding the no fence law passed by
our recently adjourned Legislature,
and while we all admit it much more
compatible to fence in few head Of
stock than the plantations generally,
it will fall heavily upon the poorer
ones, who have been fortunate enough
to save their COW and mule from the
food. Again, there are many planters
who would have rebuilt their fences
regardless of the new law, believing
it to be the only safeguard against the
depredations Of stock in as wild a
country as this can be truthfully
termed. As yet the loss in this
county cannot be approximated.
Many tons of cotton seed have been
both spoiled and washed away by the
water, and | think the quantity for
planting purposes will prove made
guate, and by planting time this will,
think, prove to be the case through
out the overAowed districts. Many
are the surmises as to the time cotton
/ crops will be pitched, opinions vary
ing from the middle of April to the
last of May. At the rate the river
has fallen here for the past week, by
the middle of May two thirds of the
land cultivated in 1881 will be avail
able for the coming crop, and predi-
eating our opinion upon the past, a
good crop may be expected
In my last II referred to a basin
formed inside and under the crevasse
in the levee at this point Since then
this basin has reached depth of
twenty-six feet, and widened at the
top by the caving off at the junction
Of ColdWater and Commerce streets
until its edges have undermined the
two story brick building on this cor
ner, and a large portion of it has
fallen into the pool, and from present
indications more of the same building
will follow, This property is that of
Mrs. Manning, and great fears are en-
tertained regarding contiguous prop.
erty. We are waiting and watching"
j. M. III.