The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-26
STORY OF AN ANCIENT FEup.
An Old Canal That Recalls a Planters
Quarrel

Quarrel.
On the new section of the Coast Line rail-
road. between Thunderbolt and Sandfiy
station, the track crosses a very deep cut
1t is somewhat similar in appearance to the
numerous hills and hollows to be found
along the coast country, which indicate the
remains OF breastworks and bitches of old
confederate Notifications.
The cut or dry canal through the pine
lands of Bona Bella, however, Is not a relic
Of the late conflict between the states. The
excavation tells the story of, or rather Illus
trates, as 1t were. a feud between two plant
ers who owned adjoining plantations away
BACK in the early years Of this century
Considerable curiosity has been excited
among those who travel on the railroad
about this deep excavation, which extends
as Tar as the eye can see through the pine
| lands.
Yesterday DR.. s. F. Dupon, who has
lived In that neghborhood since he was
boy, gave MORNING NEWS man an inter
estlng history of the canal. The doctor
a quarrel which had long existed
between a Mr.. F1ournoy, who owned
Bona Bella plantation, and Mr.. Wilkins,
who owned the Placentia plantation. 1t
Logan with little things ard eventually
ruined both properties, ard also destroyed
Ine nedlIn OF IEe nelgnDOrhOOd.
Placentia was a back-water plantation,
that Is, 1t depended on water held In reserve
In the adjacent swamp for water to irrigate
the growing rice crops. A portion of the
swamp land belonged to the Bona Bella
tract. 1t was not, and is still not unusual
for back waters for irrigating purposes to
extend over the swamp lands owned by
others. 1t was to cut off the supply from
his neighbours rice plantation that the owner
OF Bona Bella plantation dug his canal
As stated before, the quarrel between the
planters continued for many years. 1t is
said, the doctor remarked, that on one
occasion Flournoy sent Wilkins covered
plate, the contents of which were the entrails
of sheep. The recipient of this insult made
the negro who brought the dish the vica-
rious sufferer, and Wilkins, meeting his
master few days after riding on the Skida-
way road, administered to him a severe
chastisement Flournoy then deter
mined to enforce his riparian rights
and drain his part of the swamp,
and thus bring ruin on his foe. Letting the
water off one portion of course drained
the entire swamp. He had large planta-
ton in Washington county, on which he
worked 200 negroes. Abandoning his crops
he marched the entire force from Middle
Georgia to Bona Bella, and with these
negroes and his home hands he dug a canal
mile and half in length, extending from
the Placentia line to Warsaw river When it
was opened the water from the swamp rnshed
into the riRr and Placentia's value was
gone and its owner almost ruined. No more
rice could be raised because there was no
water for its irrigation.
Seventy years have passed by since Flour
noy dug his canal, but Piacentia has
never been worth what it was before he
took away its life. The lines of the canal
show that it was well built,
and with the determination to accomplish
the work of drainage thoroughly. From
what can be seen now it appears to have
been about thirty feet wide at the top and
| fifteen feet at the bottom.
While Flournoy's canal prevented any
accumulation of water in the Placentia
tract it did not thoroughly drain the swamp.
| The result of this was that the place became
very malarious, and the surrounding coun-
try, which had always been known for its
healthfulness, became quite sickly. This
! state of affairs continued until eight
years ago, when the county commissioners
drained the Placentia tract, by opening its
old plantation canal mot Flournoys cut)
and deepening its outlet through the Bona
venture lowlands. Since then the former
healthfulness of the neighborhood has been
| restored.