The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-12
Letter from Louisiana.

MORGAN CITY, La, May PHONE
morning last month RS l walked down
from Federal Avenue to First Street
everybody chanced to meet was in
the best of spirits. All We're confident
Of security notwithstanding the un-
usual tides, of the previous week, which
had flooded the lower portion Of the
town, surrounded the hotels and the
United States Custom House. There
was nothing alarming in tide water.
On the following day when the train
pulled up at the depot, before | had
time to get off the train, l saw the
fallen countenances, hopeless; the light
of security which beamed out SO
brightly the day before was gone. The
loss of father and mother, brother and
sister would have induced no greater
expression. Sad. sad! l know what
made them so cherries. The great
Morganza was ruin, and an unmeas-
ured volume Of water was rushing
through the gap, and was hurrying
down upon the STeche country. On
the heels of this Information came the
news of crevasse 500 feet wide at
Labdelt's Landing, from which the
water would reach Us in forty-eight
hours. And immediately after, it was
announced that the whole Point Couper
front was gone. In the year 1882 there
were fewer open crevasses than mere
reported, and in that year there was
not dry spot for miles. No wonder
the inhabitants Of the BraZierine island
were cherries.
AS soon as the news settled upon us
as reality, We began making prepa-
rations to meet the flood. The town
authorities anchored the bridges, foot
planks and wooden banquets, The
Southern Pacific men secured their
platforms and low switch tracks.
Workmen not employed in this man.
ner were busily engaged in building
water crafts. Men on every hand were
supplying themselves with lumber to
be ready to insert raised floors. Indeed
the town presented very lively ap-
pearance. Merchants We're busy but
trade was dull
On the sugar plantations every avail
able person was hurried to the levees.
Shovels, spades, wheel and hand bar
rows worked day and night. New
drainers We're ordered, the cid ones
repaired, so that the inside canals
might be cleared of water as fast as it
came in. And well might the sugar
planters marshal all their forces upon
their private levees, fox 4 fair estimate
shows that between forty and fifty mill
lion dollars worth of property lay in
immediate track of the flood issuing
from the Mississippi River on Point
Couper front. 1t is ofequal Importance
to the poor people that the sugar crop
succeed, for upon it all ultimately de-
pend. Even the lumbermen who find
the flood their harvest time, also find
in sugar planters some of their best
customers.
The approaching water produces a
peculiar sensation upon one unused to
it, almost unnoticed, slowly, noiselessly
it creeps up, gaining each day few
inches. The wharves little by little are
submerged, the canals and bitches are
filled. Then across the common, creep
ing stealthily through the grass, mug
ging the ground as if to avoid notice
comes the waters, nearer and nearer
each day. No resistance availS, no
threat drives it back, nc demonstration
causes it, so much as delay its move
ment. From the fens and bogS, from
the woods and swamps, uubidden, un-
welcome, comes this monster, wither-
ing the fresh grass, fading the tints
from the roses, and replacing the per-
fume with strange filthy odors. Help
less we stand and behold the approach
ing despoiier in vain we bid him stop, !:
in vain we attempt to stop him.
Fortunately the head water soon
began to decline, and the water here
has been on a stand for about a week,
with the promise Of an early decline,
in fact the recession has already COM
menced. The damage has been.large
but not so great as at first anticipated.
Our streets are filled with water
crafts of every kind, varying from a
floating bridge with a drygoods box
upon it, to the finest finished skitfin
the market; including some Of the
lightest and prettiest parogues | have
ever seen. Everybody rides in water
going vessels, no need of hacks, busses,
or any thing like that, just take boat,
l use boat to 60 to my meals. | just
walk down 10 the corner Of First Steet,
and Railroad Avenue. Then | take u
boat and 70 " to the hotel, pass in the
front door, make my BOAT last 10 the
stair case, aud land on the stairs three
or four feet above the first floor. I
haven't seen the first floor in three
weeks.
When I came to Louisiana last year,
| was told that this was the richest
country in the world, that it was un-
surpassed by any State in the Union in
culture enlightenment and charity.
Just ROW | find that no spot on earth,
not even the red hills Of South Care
lima is half so poor, and that no people
in the world need educational and
charitable institutions half so bad as
the people Of Louisiana. The two lead
ing dailieS of the State are making the