Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-03-13

tOreSJ CulJlVatlOn.
1t is claimed again, on principles of
established accuracy, that heavy SHOWS
are great protection against freshets,
and that the logical inference must be
that winter of light SHOWS will pro-
duce spring floods almost inevitably.
This will hardly answer in the present
case, however, for there has been more
snow than usual this season in the Ohio
Valley. 1t is more likely that the snow
is beneficial only when it is deep
enough to keep the ground in thaw-
ing condition underneath, and to cause
gradual process of absorption in adj
vance OF the general spring "break-
up" Where the earth is untroz an and
plable during the winter, i, reasonably
follows that spring freshet can not SO
easily gain headway; but, on tne other
hand, where this condition IS wanting,
on account of excessively cold weather,
abundant snow only makes matters
worse. Some OF the severest floods in
the far West take their rise in localities
wkere the SHOWS are heaviest, and
where, also, the forest protection is
most to be counted upon.
The truth is that the matter is largely
one of conjecture. All talk about meas
ures for preventing the sudden and
overwhelming freshets is, therefore, of
little practical advantage. The floods
will continue 10 come in their own time
and way, and will not be stopped by
tree planting or any other device with
in our reach. There is one thing that
can be done, however, and that is to
| Ea no TOR
out of their way when they do come. 1t
is very well known that they are to be
expected in certain sections and at
given times of the year; and there is
every reason why the people of those
sections should make their arrange
ments accordingly, choosing their loca-
iions and building their houses with
studied reference to what experience
has shown to be n fixed danger. Too
many Of them persist in not exercising
the care and discretion in this respect
that is so clearly demanded. They are
none the less entitled TO sympathy and
proper assistance; but surely many OF
them might avert misfortune by taking
more pains not to place themselves dl-
rectly in the way of it.
While the floods were occasional and
far apart, there was reasonable excuse
for treating them rs special visitatiOns
of Providence. and for supposing that
lifetime might elapse before one
would be repeated in particular qual-
ter. But now that they have become
so frequent, and it is so well known
where and when they are to be antici
psted, there is Only folly in neglectiDg
to order things with a view to theil
} possible annual recurrence. There car
be no doubt that great deal of the
property that is now being lost and de
, stroyed in the Ohio Valley might have
, been saved if the owners had believed
} that the desolatipg flood of last yea
, was likely to be repeated this year
Hundreds of people, we venture to say
z have been stripped of everything in tn
1 present instance who went through
7 precisely the same experience in tina
t one. They could not think that any
! thing so bad as the flood of 1888 cOulC
t ever occur again while they lived, an'
D so they took no precaution against an
: other calamity Of that hind. All tn
I same, the calamity has come, the Yer
e next year, and it finds them Situqte
y eX'tcIly rs tney Welo uoioic' Inn
j should not be tie case, and it wOnl
: not if men were rs willing 60 take warn
= ing in these matters as they are in n'a'
o ters of far less consequence. The thin
to be learned, above all other, frcl
Il the flood that is now causing SO niue
IS of havoc aud distress is the nece-sit
e Of individual care and foresight in lC
q calities that have been proved to b
3. specially subject TO such form of mis-
II fortune. There is no way TO prever
n the floods; but there is way 10 reduc