Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-03-02

Michner, N. w. Lee. Mays q Will
liams, DIR. Pease and w. b. Reayes.
On Sunfower Ridge there are r.
, 900 acres out, cultivated principally
by D. l.. Childers, j. d. Brown, j. II.
Brown, Irvine, G. Garfield, A. K.
Bobo, ]. A. Pease, Page, John Clarke,
Widow Hapon, Level, Boyce, p. G.
Legg, Pease, G. G.. Bobo, r. E. Bobo,
Mrs. Porter, DR.. Norfett and Russell
Hancock, son Of General w. S. Han
cock.
On Hopson Ridge about 5000 acres
are out. The largest farmers are Sam
Shears, B. W. Lawler, Cammack,
Peacock, Mrs. Trimble, Louis Thorn
as, colored, and the Shotwell estates.
On Moore's Bayou, which has 5000
acres out of water, Patterson, Putnam
and Billiugsley are the principal
planters.
On Cassidy Ridge, John Mackey,
Captain Elliot, j. w. Aston and a
number of small farmers are blowing
over 1900 acres.
The Jamestown Ridge is nearly all
out. Governor Alcorn, Mrs. May
Alcorn, Warren and Russell, Collins
and others, cultivate about 5000 acres.
Altogether, there are in the neigh
borhood Of 10000 acres clear of over
flow in the country back of Friars
Point. The water there has fallen a
foot, and no apprehensions are felt for
the safety Of the levee.
At Helena the water is at a stand.
The streets are still full Of water,
except those fronting on the levee; but
there seems to be little suffering.
A Review.
These statements were all made to q
representative of the LEDGER, who
was on the ground and in a position to
judge for himself of their truth or
falsehood. Leaving the city on Mon
day evening at o'clock on the steamer
Dean Adams, he made the round to
Arkansaw City, returning yesterday
evening. No passenger on any river
steamer ever witnessed grander, more
appalling and yet more ludicrous
scenes In so short a space of time.
The steamer could not have happened
along in the overlooked country at a
more orportune moment, and the
officers of the boat deserve the ever
lasting gratitude Of the people Of the
valley.
Up to Monday night the damage
had been slight, but that night and
the day following will not only be
a red letter day in the history
of the river, but in the log of the Dean
Adams. She made in all thirty FIVE
landings, some of them extremely
dangerous on account of the high stage
of the water, sometimes tying up to
trees, at others to snags, and at others
going over the main bank directly up
to the levees. At Riverton she was
hailed by a skif, and a man yelled,
"For Gods sake lend us a boat! We
have only two, and can't get the people
out of the house fast enough Lower
that yawl in a hurry was Captain
Cheeks answer, and in a few moments
the steamers lifeboat foated in the
water, and was rowed off to the rescue.
Instructions we're left as to where to
bring the boat with any persons who
might wish TO leave, so hat they could
be taken up on the return, and the
steamer passed on.
just as the steamer was pushing off
another skitf came skimming up with
a couple of old tents and some new
plank, which the owner was anxious
to save for the same reason that
feather beds are carried down
stairs at fires. The plumber was
taken aboard, and the steamer passed
on to Glencoe, where a number of
men we're very comfortably fixed on a
huge log raft. The mate called to
them to send some one to the relief of
the people at Riyerton, as they were
about to drown and had only three
bOats. The reply was that they we're
not much better fixed, and they seem
ed utterly Indifferent about it. One
old fat fellow on the raft yelled to
throw him a paper. for Gods sakel as
they were famished for news. He got
one, and a conference was held as to
what should be done in regard to
Riverton, while the boat passed on
her voyage, now no longer a business
trip, but that of a mammoth life boat,
At nearly every landing somebody was
taken aboard, little sucking babes,
weak women and decrepid old men,
who were not hardy enough to stand
the exposure. Nobody was refused.
II they had money they paid it, but
if not they travelled free. at Eutsw
a man came out in a skiff and said
there were twenty or thirty women
and children on the levee who wanted
to come aboard, and was told to go
and bring them.
AT another place a lot of people
came aboard in a skiff, and begged
that the boat wait until their
baggage could be brought from the
levee. 1t was done. Numbers OF
people, however, saved nothing, ard
were glad to save themselves. At a
good many places where there we're no
levees the distress did not seem to be
great. The people expected it and
were prepared fer it. Their houses
were built way above the ground, and
heads of people, dogs, cats and chick
ems could be seen peering from the
hooks and crannies of the upper stO.
ries. These people did not want to be
moved, as they were well enough off.
1t is impossible to estimate yet the
damage to stock on account of the
breaks being of so recent a date.
Much OF hat back of the high levees
was necessarily lost when they broke.
They don't seem to care much whether
the cattle are drowned or not. One
large planter said he would be glad il
the last COW in his county would drown
as they were more frouhle than the,