Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-11-14
THE LEVEES
And the Yaz0O Delta. the Richest Body
of Land Am the Uniaesi States.
How the Commission Feels and What
the Planters Would Like 10 Have.

HoRN LAKE, MISS, November 12.-The
presence in our midst of the River Com
mission brings to the minds of all the
great interests OF the counties adjacent to
and that pay tribute to Memphis. There
are so many theories for improving the
navigation of this grand river and protect
ing the fine lands along its course, that one
can readily see why Mr.. Logan is con-
fused and don't know what is best to do.
1t is certainly evident that what they have
done unless they do more) is standing
monument of stupidity, and one would
think they would be anxious to allow
say 100000 to assist the railroad and
people affected to complete the 10 miles
covering the delta. This commission
began at point near Vicksburg, and made
a levee to point near the Coahoma line
say 319 miles-at vast amount of money,
and left open the entire front-110 miles
of Tunica and part OF Coahoma, through
which front flows the vast volumes of water
covering Tunica, one-fourth of Pamela, Tai
lahatchie, Quitman and portion OF Coaho-
ma, thus destroying any good their levee
has so far done. The way this came about is
because the overflowed sections are di-
vided into two districts, the upper one No.
| and the lower one District No. 2, en-
bracing the counties of Warren, Bolivar,
Washington, Sunhower, and Lefore.
District No. being organized and able to
furnish estimates, of course secured the
first work of the commission, while Dis
trict No. being 1cittOua organization or
facts or figures have had nothing done.
Practical and intelligent gentlemen in that
line, and men, too, who have given this
subject much study, believe the only plan
and best one is to straighten the sipeing
bends of the river. 1t is very evident
that the Sl50,000 expended i'll dredging
about Nicksburg by the government is an
utter failure. What Immediately concerns
our people is the laying the front of Tunica,
say from the bluffs OF Horn Lake to Friars
Point, or connect with the levee made by
the commission, for it is a fact that while
the lower or District No. are protected in
their front by the levee, they are entirely
at the mercy of the water that enters from
the forests OF District No. l., as well the
entire country of Tunica, Panola, Talla-
hatchie, Quitman and Coahoma.
Then to accomplish this grand object is
both easy practical and plain. 1t is the
writer's information that to protect their
great railroad the Memphis, Nicksburg
and New Orleans, the huntington syndi-
cate will at an early day in January pro-
pose to the Mississippi Legislature or
Board OF Levee Commissioners to pay a
| liberal part, say S200,000 and there can be
doubt the government River Commission
kgwill add as much more (being glad to cover
] ,l nd for
people affected by the overflow will make
| up the balance, for in my late visit to that
| section / did not meet one man who was
not only willing, but they assured me
were able and anxious to pay their part,
and insisted they were not objects of
charity at all. The realty of this over
flowed section is estimated at Sll 100000
which those interested assure me is only
nominal, and is really worth S50,000,000,
or five times the estimate, and that they
are anxious to pay their part, and we do
know that the railroad referred to cannot
stand without this levee. Besides,
we cannot believe the syndicates re-
ferred to entered into this great enterprise
without taking this estimate into account,
besides their charter from the State of
Mississippi gives them perpetual eXemp-
ton from taxation on this account alone.
This fine country without levee system
! is utterly WITHOUT value, unJenaDle, ana VIII
be abandoned. All that is to be done is to
place this fairly and without color intelli-
gently before the people and it will be
done, and as the old reliable APPEAL is
the paper of this whole section they look
to its columns for the justice and right of
its cause AS this country stands to-day,
every dollar that Memphis enterprise
places there is jeopardized. But with this
object attained, this levy made, this Egypt
of American agriculture protected, this
finest country the sun ever shone upon
improved and developed, and her vast
reservoir pouring into your Golfers annu-
ally without exhaustion, with your ridge
and table lands devoted to grain, grasses
and stock-then, and not till then, will
Memphis become what she aspires to be,
and is entitled to by her enterprise and
liberality, the Queen City OF the South
and West, who with her grand railroad
center paid tribute to by Gordon's Geor-
gia Pacific and her late railroad connec-
tions will take the position she is des-
tined to occupy, like her ancient name
sake, the mistress of commerce on the
father of waters. To Memphis and the
APPEAL, then, this people look for devel-
opments and success. p.