Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-07

THE NEGROES
are tooth-and-toe-nail against it, and declare
that as the same enactment has driven many
of their number out of South Carolina, so
will the enforcement if il drive from Missis-
sippi labor which 1t is Just now imperative
she should have. To offset this feeling of
the negro, the case of a planter, to whom |
have just had the pleasure of speaking, is
cited. "Of course, the negro kicks lhe always
does; there is no police or sanitary measure
against which he does not rebel; he sees in
every law, no matter how wholesome, blow
at his rights On my place, and | am only
one Of many, there are sixty people; these
have, say Sl25 worth of hogs and cattle. Ny
back fences, as are those of all my neighbors,
are swept away. Now, these same darkies,
to a certain extent, depend upon me and my
kind for bread and meat; they would allow
this partry amount OF live stock to eat up
and trample over crops that would, if pro-
tected by the fence law, yield money enough
to support the negroes IN comfort, and nav
in addition for big droves OF such scarecrows
as they making a fuss about. l think
the fence law good one, and il 1t is not en-
forced nearly everyone who has or will have
a crop to protect, will with a shotgun enact
and enforce a small ordinance of his own to
that effect"
THE LAW,
seems to have been imperfectly framed
There is sixty days notice TO be given of its
adoption by the board, and if this is done it
will be too late to be Of as complete effect as
if it could go into effect at once. If the
board will give the notice, as it is likely to
do, of its adoption of the act sixty days
hence, it is thought it will be generally taken
as a regular passage of the measure, and
obeyed accordingly.
THE LEvEE BOARD
opened its second days session this morning
about noon, with President Stokes in the
chair The member from Sharkey, the Hon.
w. NJ. Moore, has not yet put in an appear
ance, the reason for which, doubtless, is that
the direct trip hither must be made in skiff
or dugout against the current, or if he go
down the Yazoo, through dangers more than
commensurate with the necessity OF encoun-
tering them. Auditing bills is thus far the
most important business before the board.
1t seems to be the desire of the body to get
before it all outstanding accounts for work
done up TO the time a suspension of opera
tIons became necessary on account of the
water. A look over the bills and an explana-.
ton of the circumstances under which some
of them were contracted is interesting. Mr.
ID. Cove, Scotcbman possessed of all the
sterling. qualities of his race, held fifteen
miles OF weak levee in Miller's bend after it
=
was in the saddle as long as a
horse could make Roadway, and after that
skin. COnyey Cd him fIora Point to-f,oi,,t
as occasion demanded. His work STANDS to-
day a monument to his engineering skill and
unwearying pertinacity. keegan, on Catfish
Point, is another of those who kept the wolf
away from the front door by unremitting at
tention. Were | to write you the story con-
tanned in one-half the bills presented to the
board at this session, there would be n ed Of
a supplement-a thing abhorent TO the eyes
of the business and press departments.
Suffice it to say that | have never seen fewer
evidences OF over-charging common in
crisises such as has just passed, in the course
of my conn ection with a newspaper. Every
contractor and SUB" seem to have had in
mind the terrible straits to which riparian
taxpayers would be put, and instead OF at
tempting to 6lch from the almost PROSTATE
body, are putting their figures Just as low as
they can to get out whole. This sounds
strange in this age of jobbery, but OF its truth
l am convinced.
PRESIDENT STOKES,
though a young man, is tower of strength
to the board. One of the heaviest planters
on the river, exposed, but for the levee sys-
tenn of which he is the head, to the ravages
OF one or more destructive floods every
season, he is keenly alive to the necessity of
and vitality seem to inject new life into the
"grave and reverend seignors" over whom he
has the honor to preside.
sELF-HELP Is BEST.
.FfclAILA.-4 al Calanal w. A. Percy, read
to-day before the board, is full of meat. He
is one of the three commissioners appointed
by Governor Lowry to go to Washington to
see if any thing could be done toward secur-
ing national aid in the stupendous work the
boards have before them. He says in effect,
sThe gods help those who help themselves;
go ahead in your work as though there we're
no such thing as River Commission; bills
before Congress, with probability OF passage,
are good, but what you want Just now IA i'm
mediate action. There may come a June
rise: be ready to meet it. Aid from the gen.
eral government so far as levees are con-
cerned, is not to be expected; you have the
means and certainly the disposition; let
work quickly follow" Though the proceed
ing remarks are enclosed within quotation
marks. it must by no means be understood
that it is the language of Colonel Percy. 1t
is the impression made upon the mind of
your reporter when he heard 1t read.
AS TO THE sINEws OF WAR,
the board Is we'll thewed. 1t has subject to
draft $500, 5000, with authority to raise $780,
600 more which it has only to call for to
have at command. This auxiliary will not
be needed. To repair and raise the levee
system of the district the su first named is
thought to be amply sufficient. Colonel
Helm, clIief engineer, is already organizing
for survey of those breaks to which the
water will allow his access, and by the time
the earth is dry enough TO handle, stout Cells
with shovel and barrow will be at work.
DOWN IN LOUISIANA,
that is in the parishes Of East Carroll, Madi-
hos IN no in had
way. Definite information from that quarter
is hard to get. A gentleman from Lake
Providence saws: 1--WE are badly wrecked"
referring not to the town, but to the planting
interest He was in too much of a hurry TO
go into details.
PILOTS AND MASTERS.
give high praise to the government light
tenders on the river. Captain Carvell and
Pilot Eph Banks, of the City of Providence,
say that the lights have been better looked
after since than before the overflow; that
the tenders seemed to appreciate the I'M
portance of keeping sfiame The beacon which
was often the only guide TO the man at the
wheel in the wide waste OF waters.
AN ICE FAMINE.
has fallen upon Greenville. There is not a
pound to be had in town for love money
The steward of the Halliday, which passed
up to-day, gave small piece TO the servant
of sick man, but bevond this there has
been none in the town for forty-eight hours,
Mr. Isenberg, dealer in the article. hourly
expects a consignment, and the Greenvlile
Ice Company (chemicaD will commence
operations next week. Meantime beer will
have to be taken as i; comes from the key.
IT IS USELESS, POSSIBLY,
but it is still gratifying TO repeat that plant
ing operations go vigorously as hands
and teams and good weather will permit. |
saw a field of corn yesterday which Is hand
high" and its black green color denotes good
root and wtll-taken hold.
PERSONAL.
Colonel John S. Wallace, contractor oil
some note in Arkansas, is here on levee mat
tiers.
General D. H S ssions, of Bolivar county
is in town on business connected with the
leyees in his bailiwick.
The thanks of the APPEAL are due &c
Colonel ]. S. McNeely, OF the Greenville
Times; Captain Julius Langsfelder, OF the
Greenville Miss;ssippirR; Mr.. L. A. Woods