The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1891-03-20


| 1t was almost dusk on the succeeding
night when a skiff slowly rounded the
broad shingly beach of Kings Point, and
skirting the gray little sandbars below
pulled iuto the narrow opening of West
Pass. 1t was Zeb Posey, and he had come
to Vicksburg again to look for Cordia.
The mighty current of the Mississippi
once flowed in stately majesty past the
| famous old town. Delta Point from the
Louisiana shore pushed ont and up in
front of Vicksburg long, narrow pen
insula. for all the world like u crooked
index finger placed there to fret and dam
the impetuous food. This peninsula
forced the river to double back upon
itself. and swinging about to pour its
full volume down by the city. Delta
Point was a narrow. insecure barrier
into which the turbulent stream set its
teeth at each period of overflow.
When Grants investing army encom-
passed the place I1y%Egineers conceived
the plan of digging IA canal across this
narrow arm of Louisiana. and thus leav
ing the impotent town inland. But the
stubborn river. which often eagerly lays
claim to furrow and scours it out until
it irgulfs province. refused to be SO
set aside or led away. The treasure and
lives spent upon the work were lost, but
that which science and bloodshed could
not do was wrought in one night in the
year 1876. Amid the tumult of Il sum
mer storm the river threw off its yoke of
bondage, and cutting the meager PENN
sula hurled it's swirling yellow, foam
ing mass through the new channel, leav-
ing Vicksburg with sand di.Ied lake in
front Of it.
The lake-called Centennial to com
memorate the year of its crcation-is
hidden behind u great bar of dreary
sand whereon crop of scrub cotton
woods and willows wave in seasons Of
low water, and across which steamers
ply to their rotting and long deserted
docks in times of overflow. The lake is
connected with the liver by one narrow
channel called West Pass, and up this
gorge like estuary, with its high and
perpendicular mud banks, Zeb rowed to
an anchorage. He wished to avoid the
motley and iniquitous crew who swarm
and tester by the repulsive fish docks and
coal barges and cabin boats clustered in
the hollow cove near the landing.
When the night had grown dark and
the lights glimmered out in broken rows
upon the populous terraces of the steep
bluffs Zeb crept up toward the town and
wandered uneasily over the place. Now
he would climb one of the precipitous
streets to the plateau three blocks above,
or lurking about the river front where
the tall buildings, age hegrimed and un-
steady, seemed in imminent danger of
topping over, he watched the restless
throng. He was shutting along in the
red glare from these latter dives of
squalid and wretched vice when hand
plucked his sleeve and familiar voice
said
"Oh, Use powerful glad to see yo', sab.
Use ben lukin' fer yo, kase | felt some
how en- desc Of bones dat yo'd cum
hyre."
Zeb turned and saw by his side the
old darkey he had met at Rolling Fork
He turned to him. glad to meet among
the strange throng any familiar face,
and said:
Use glad TO see yo', Niger
AN Use powerful glad to see yo' But,
Lor'. knowed I'd ketch up wifi yo'
somewhat soon. Don't de good book
say, Cast yo' bred ON de water an after
meny days ct 'el cum back Here'sa
istration oh dat very fac. Use foun' dat
sister'n oh yo's what war lost !
Found Cordial" said Zeb, very slowly, |
looking at the good old black face turned |
toward him -
''Sho' huff, bless de Lordi done jess
dat fling. When You left me rse got on
noder train. 'cept dat it war dark and