The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-29
Special Cor. Of State Chronicle.

Halifax and Northampton, which
lies Immediately on the banks OF
the Roanoke river, and is subject
to it's overflow. Some of the press
Of this section and of other sections
Of the State are beginning to agi-
tate the question Of the States
giving to these four counties the
c0nvicts from these counties to
build a dam on the banks Of the
Roanoke river to ccntine the waters
in such a manner that they will not
overflow. and destroy the crops on
these lands.
The Farmers Alliance of those
counties have called meeting to
be held at a place to be named in
the near future, where all can meet
and take some course and not only
they, but all who live near the
flooded districts, Will try to get the
State to aid them in retaining
those lands which have no equal in
this State in producing corn, cotton,
wheat, rye, oats or any other crop
that is grown in North Carolina. /
have lived on the river as man and
boy nearly eighty years. l began
as a seventeen year-Old boy IN cigh-
teen hundred and thirty as over
seer on the plantation Of Mr.. VIII
liam Pugh, On the Roanoke river,
and up to the year 1862 continued
to work the Roanoke lands. The
year | commenced there was little
dlking done, but we made good
crops and my employers were
always satisfied if they made a
crop one year out of five. The
upper Roanoke lands at that time
were but little cultivated and the
sOll retained The moisture until it
gradually run into the swamps
which flowed into the river. In a
few years the farmers began up the
Roanoke to clear up and drain
their swamps, and il q short while
all the lower Roanoke country was
flooded, and the planters had to
devise some scheme to keep the
water out and to seed their crops.
Then the system Of djking was
inaugurated. 1t required an i'm
mcnse outlay of capital and large
amount of labor, but the extra
amount received from the crops
produced on their lands moro than
repaid the costs of building those
bikes. The war came on. and with
it's devastating blight the energies
OF our people were paralyzed. The
planter and his 0Verseer had both
taken up their arms to go to the
front to help protect their lands
and homes from the invader.
There was but little work done On
their farms during these four years
of war. Many Of the slaves had
left for the North Or sought freedom
at captured cities with the North
eTn troops, or were sent Off by their
owners for safety far beyond the
tract Of the invader. What few
were left made large quantities OF
corn and wheat, more than enough
to support the farms, and furnished
nearly One-tenth Of the supplies for
the Confederate C0mmisary depart~
ment. l have known in one year
over five hundred thousand bushels
of corn shipped from the Rertle
county side Of the river alone. In
the year 1860, from this same
section, twelve thousand hogs were
driven to the Virginia markets.
besides what the planter reserved
to feed his family and his negroes.
| have known the ThompsonS, the
UrQuharts, the Pughs, the Bonds
and the Williams, who owned this
land Oh this side of the Roanoke,
when they would all combine and
drive their hogs in one drove. to
have the road completely blocked
so that no one could pass for
distance Of SIX miles. This is of
the BERTHE county SIDE alone. All
of the lands of the other counties
are equally as productive and con
tain about five times as much land
that could be reclaimed. Then this
country, the richest and most
productive in our grand old State,
Which IS now suffering the pangS Of
poverty, would make grain enough
to almost supply the whole State.
The Legislature Of this State should
take some action in regard to
protect these farmers from the
waters of the Roanoke which over
flows its banks and destroys all
vegetation which it touches. The
planters would dixie these lands
but the war destroyed all their
means, and left them too poor to
rebuild, and it is now a hard strug-
gle for them TO exist on the poor
upland farms which in ANTE BELLI-M
days were used only for their resi-
dences. The appropriations from
the general Government for dredg-
lug the Roanoke has done much
good, but II the same amount Of
labor was given by the State from
the COnVicts from these counties.
with what assistance the planters
would be able to give, there would
be but little use for any more
dredging, as the rushing waters.
having increased velocity by being
confined in narrower space, would
keep all distinctions washed away.
and there would be no more use in
dredging. The criminal classes
have cost these four counties more