Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-25
THE YAZOO DELTA.
Condition Of the Country Down About
Greenrille-Wateri in Front and
Back Of That Point.
Meeting of the Leyee BOard-Report Of
the Work Done in the District
Crop Prospects.

|
done in lower Bolivar, northeast and east
Washington countiey, and the alarm of tw 0
weeks ago, when the levee, two miles below
Australis, breke or was cut has subsided,
aud the prompt action Of the board in con-
6ning the disaster to that one break has re-
stored confidence. 1t cannot be denied, how
ever, that the sudden rise in the river in
the fore part OF February, and the reported
unprecedented floods OF the Ohio and its
lribuiariee, caat cloud of gloom over the
bottom that rested upon the delta like a
pail. The numerous breaks of last wear,
which had worked such widespread dissg.
ter and death, still fresh in the minds Of the
| people, created almost universal distrust of
| The whole levee system, and the public
mind vibrsted between HE total abandon
ment OF the system and a combination of
the "outlet" and the leVee systems as the
only hope for future and permanent
redemption of the low lands of the
delta. But the favorable condition of |
the new levees, reported to the |
meeting Of the Lsvee Board here this week, |
has gone far TO change public sentiment, and
1t 10 now very generally conceded that if the
line of levees was perfected and combined in |
one system, from The bluffs south of your |
city to the mouth Of the Yazoo river and |
The same energy, forecast and practicable re- |
sources were brou hi TO bear and utilized |
along the whole linz which has charsc-
teriz ID the management of the Levee Board |
OF Bolivar, Washington, Isssquena aud |
Sharkey counties, there would be practically |
no grounds for apprehension Of overflow in |
| the future.
| BUT THE DOG IN THE MANGER
policy adopted by Tunics, Coahoma and |
| Sunhower counties in refusing 10 be incor- |
| narrated into levee diairict NTH he 4
| one below as the nucleus, has now been ]
| brought home to those counties with the |
| repetition OF the disasters OF last year, and
in some places greatly augmented. l.
| is now p ainly TO be seen that the cb-
| slinscy of the representative me- st |
interested in the completeness and perms-
nency OF The whole line of levees
in the upper counties in come ton
| with the lower system has proven
to be gigantic mistske-6rst because
| he upper counties were unorgauizsd, and
| csuld not avail themselves OF fair proper.
| ton OF the government appropriation for
| levee purposes; and secondly, because Of the
| Inability of those counties to repair and re-
| build those broken levees without outside
aid. Thus it is that their shorts GIFTED policy
has cost them dearly, 10 the shape of disas-
| ters, from oveif)w this year, which might
| have been averied by a timely Co operation
| and conjunction with the we'll organized and
| established system Of this district. But
| Experiences ia dear school, and FOOLS"
| etc. Ii We are 10 have leVee
| system for the delta, COMMON sense Won d
teach ord nary minds that The from line OF
| levees should be continuous and couuected
| from point above where the foods com.
meIce TO spread ever the low lands 10 the
outlet flow Of waters from he east, this side
OF the bluffs below.
sUNFLowER COUNTY,
east Of us, is nov suffsriug from a dupli-
cafe Of the A Iod of last year, th anks TO her
own folly and her t-ust in the do-nothipg
policy OF the upper counties. The fl ,ods OF
Tunica and Coahoma are upon her, and it
is reported that not hundred acres of her
soil is out of water. The railroad from
Stoneville to Johnsouville, most Of the way,
| is submerged, and the water from
the breaks in the upper counties is
pouring down through The So flower
river, Bogue Phaliah, and Deer creek, and
threaten the eastern part OF This county and
Shsrkey. Though this county may not suf-
| Ter TO the extent OF last year, thanks 10 he
present rapid decline 10 the Mississippi
| river, yet il is plain to be seen that The
blunders of our neighbors eutsiled upon this
| the largest and best settled country in the
| delta a fearful reckoning and business bal
| ancs-sheeis show large sums charged up 10
| profit aud loss by the default of other sections
| in plain line Of mutual obligation and
| public duty.
| THE WATERS.
| back and in front Of this point correspond
with what can be gathered from the foregc=
| ipg general observations. Back of us from
| Deer creek over Sunhower county, and north
east from St3neville, the water is still en- the
| rise. 10 front the river is falling slowly,
with lhirty-seven and one-fourth feet above
| iow-water mark-government gauges. The
MEETING OF THE LEvEE BOARD,
just adjourned, has opened the eyes of our
| people. Notwithst auding propheses 10 the
contrary, reports show a most Satisfactory
condition OF the levees in the entire district.
ln fact, your correspondent was informed by
| the president OF the board himself, that it
| can be established by Satisfactory data, that
| the present liGe of levees under the control
of the board is the most complete, perfect,
| and every way substantial that has been
| constructed in the bottom. The breaks
| OF last year have been repaired-
| the whole lire strengthened; aad not
new piece of work has given way, and but
for the cutting OF The Dennis levee below
Australia, which no forecast of the board
could provide against, there would be new
standing the most perfect system of levees
ever constructed on the continent" Making
| due allowances for the natural pride and
| enthusiasm Of the president of the corpora
| ton that has accomplished so much in so
| short a time, and uGder difficult cirCum-
| slsnces-bad weather, etc-this news can
| but be cheering TO ali interested in the final
| redemption of the bottom, and 10 a certain
extent at least, stop the mouths of croskers
who seem never SO happy when prophecy
| ing evil of the levees. But 10 inform ton has
| not been derived solely from the president
| OF the board or hers connected with it,
| have met many intelligent men who keep
well posted in levse matters, who have cor
| r0bora;ed the statement. of the president of
the board above quoted; and some even 90
| further than he in praise of the work Just
| accomplished, and in the expression of i'm
| plicit faith in final and complete protec lou
| such faith ought to be rewarded
with a full frution of most san.
guine hopes. l am informed, TOO,
that this grand result has been brought
| about without extraordinary strain on the
resources of the board. No fancy prices
have been paid for work, though contractors
| and lsborers have not complained OF prices
and wages paid. The board ia financially
solid, and in a condition to meet all centir-
gencies.
THE WEATHER SINCE THE
middle of February has not been the most
favorable for plantation work, and planters
|
season fer cropping is not sufficiently ad
| vsnced TO endanger new crop, should the
| weather prove more favorable from this on.
| Some corn has been planted in th S region,
but the prospsc for q good crop is not
| favorable. Business here has been re.
markedly dull for months; but the
| fair prospect OF escaping another overt "
| has frightened the faces of our merchants
and business men generally OF late. But
| many of the old wounds occasicned BY
| floods and bad crops of last year are not yel
| healed, and some probably never will be-
| Work on the New Orleans Vcksburg and
Memphis railroad is now in progress in this
county, but, owing to the location
| OF the line mile east OF Stone
vile, its progress north will be
contingent upon the duration the
high water in that region. There Ia a propo-
sition now before this county and the city OF
| GreeuvilIe 10 vote subs ripiion of 100000
| By the county and $50 900 by the city 10 the
| New Orleans and Memphis Railroad and
Leyee Company, for the purpose of building
a railroad lesding from Greenvills south to
Sharkey, or Isssquena county lire, and north
east 10 the southern boundary of Bolivar
county. The vote ls 10 be taken on the 9TH
of next month. But whether it will
receive the requisite two-thirds vote is
problem stcal. We need railroads through
the bottom, but msny think We have al
ready railroad Indebtedness enough, and
| will no doubt oppose this new proposition.
The bspk of the river at this point is caviug
| feaTfully, aad 1t mas been suggested BY the
| more practical minds that the city had bet.
! ter vote $4,000 for the protection and
preservation of the river front, than vote it
! 10 the railroad. There is sense in the sug-
| gestion, railroad or no railrosd.
WHY Run ANY RISK WITH YOUR COUGH,
COLD, HoARsESEss, or indeed any pulmonary
or bronchial complaint, when remedy safe,
thorough and so easily obtained as DR.. D.
Jayne's Expectorsnt can be had? II Won
have contracted seVere cold, gave your
| lnngs from The daneerons Irritation and n. |