Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-21

.
| ST. LOUIS, March 20.-The Globe Demo
! erdt's reporter on board the government relief
! steamer Anita, telegraphs tonight ria Vicks-
| burg, that the Anita left Vicksburg Friday
afternoon Captain Lee, from the informa-
| ton gained from the State and citizens Gem
mite, deeming it necessary 10 make all haste
| for the Yazoo country and render all posi-
bic assistance to the suffering people in
that region. After taking on board
the veteran pilot, Captain A. Autter, who
has navigated the Sunhower and Talla-
hatchie rivers for sixty-hve years, and Cap
tain Bowman, a member of the Vicksburg
citizens committee, the Anita got under
way and steamed for the Yszoo. On enter
ing that stream. fifteen miles above vIcfs-
burg, Captain Bowman, who had been up
the river all the day before, observed that
the water was rising rapidly, and said that
knolls and pieces OF the levee which
were out of the wafer are now submerged,
and Captain Otter said that he had
never during his whole experience seen the
water so high. At McKee's plantation,
seven miles from the mouth of the Yazoo,
some rations were landed and about twenty
! negroes taken aboard. These latter were
afterward left at Chickasaw Bluff and fur
nished with food to last them several days.
A hundred more negroes who had come
down from Deer creek were on this bluff,
and still others will probably camp there,
as it is out of reach cf any rise
that can by any possibility take place.
The country the Anita is now in is thirty or
forty miles wide and 200 miles long, and en-
braces 5000 TO 5000 square miles. 1t is trav-
ersed, as heretofore stated by the Talla-
hatchie, Big and Little Su-H Dwer, Deer Creek,
Coldwater and Yoabusha, al of which are
uavigable for light draft steamers. Now all
these streams are as one, the entire
basin being inundated by water which
which pours into it from the Mississippi
near it's northern limit. The population OF
the basin is something over 100000, and it
is one of the most productive and highly
cultivated cotton districts in the South.
A boat just down from the Tsllsh atchie
river brought the information that on
some of the plantations up there the ques-
ton of the Survival of the 6ttest" had al
ready come into operation. The steady rise
had made it evident that there was not room
on the top of the ginhOuses for the people
and the animals that had crowded on
them when the face of the country was
covered and, said the steamboatman
who brought the news, they are
actually killing one hundred and fifty dollar
mules to make room for the uiggers." Near
the mouth of Deer creek water was up to
the roofs of houses, and people were making
RATS on which TO float down TO the high
mounds at Gainess Landing Rstions are
only given out when the boat is hailed or
when people are known to be in actual need.
So far there has been nowhere manifested
any disposition to impose upon the govern
ment in this mission of charity. Many a
planter was found like Jamisou, on cold
water. "Don't put off pound at my
place." he said, 81 can get my peo-
pie through this; they're all safe
on the ginhouse, but there are lots of poor
people above that will starve to death
apIess help gets to them" 1t is matter of
pride with the large planters to get along
independently, and at the same time to
take care Of their "people," as they
invariably term their negro tenants.
Some of them have to ask fo- little help,
but only to tide them over until they can
, get supplies from Vicksburg. Another
plauter, George w. Starr, refused to take
anything in the way OF supplies, but begged
for a newspaper, saying he would rather
have paper than a barrel of -four