The Forrest City times., 1892-02-26
An OrgaWtraston Effected, md Memo rial d sp.ci: licking Cou< <r-ss for
 Aid m Keelstming Fertile Sec
Joneeboro Times.

into cue levee district, to be known as the St. Francis Levee district, also em- bracing the counties of Cross and Poin- sett.
 On motion, H. N. Plarr of Lee was elected president. Col. J. F. Smith was elected secretary and treasurer. and T. D. Culberhouse of Craighead was elected auditor of said district.
 On motion of Capt. Gus FOgleman, Col. J. F. Smith, F. D. McCulloch,
 E. F. Brown and II. N. Pharr were ap- pointed a committee to represent the district before the Mississippi river commission at it's next annual meeting.
 On motion "a committee was appointed to prepare bill to be submitted to the legislature of Arkansas at it's next session, simplifying and amending the
 levee laws of the state of Arkansas, and the following named gentlemen
 were appointed: E. F. Brown of Craig head, J. F. Brown of Lee, Judge Asa
 Hodges of Crittenden, R. F. Williams
 of St. Francis, w. F. Hale of Missis-
 sippi, James Levesque of Cross and
 Benjanmin Harris of Poinsett.
 On motion, a committee consisting of one delegate from each county WAS appointed on finance, for the purpose of raising by private subscription $200 from each county, to create fund for the purpose of Chavlng said distirct mapped, organized, with assessors books for the same, and other cOntin- gent expenses, etc., and the following named gentlemen were appointed: T.
 D. Culberhouse of Craighead, Jas. Le- vesque of Cross, B. 5. Armstrong of Crittenden, J. J. Mardis of Poinsett, J. R. Driver of Mississippi, James Fus- sell of St. Francis and H. N. Pharr of Lee.
 The district having thus organized the Missouri delegation came forward and submitted their credentials, upon inspection of which it was shown that, by order of circuit court of New Madrid county, Henry c. Riley, Fred Young and Thomas Digges were ap- pointed delegates to the convention at JOnesbOrO, Ark. From Pemiscot county, Mo, Hon. Henry c. Garret, Col. Frank D. Roberts and Davis c. Kinkead were duly appointed delegates to said convention. and participated in the proceedings. On behalf of Missou- ri, Col. Henry c. Garrett, Col. Roberts and David Kinkead addressed the con- vention, assuring it that whatever was necessary to be done in the way of leg islation, friendly and enthusiastic sup port, Missouri would at all times be found ready and willing.
 Afterward Maj. Dabney of Missis- sippi addressed the convention at some length, which was highly entertaining and instructive. and among other things 1 said, ''that the St. Francis basin de- | upon the center of the first | of the Mississippi levee, raised | it two or three feet higher than the | water in the channel, thereby greatly | endangering the levee on the Missis- sippi side"
 Thereupon, E. F. Brown from Craig head read the following memorial to which was unanimously adopted, viz: To the Fifty second Congress:
 We, the directors of St. Francis front | evee, in convention assembled. at Jones' ,oro, Ark, February 10, 1892, respect 'ully memoralize your honorable body, 'etting forth the following facts:
 It has become the fixed policy of the national government to maintain a navi- gable channel in the Mississippi river at ow stage Of water, thus securing to the ,roduing classes of the country this invalu- Ible means of transportation; invaluable lot only as channel 0f cheap transpOr- ation in itself. but in the controlling in- |uence it exerts in fixing the ratesoof trans- 'Ortation by all other means.
 This policy has proven so advantageous 0 the country at large that there are none 0 deny its wisdom, or object to the gov rment appropriations necessary to that nd
 Observation has taught those whose uty it has been to preserve that chan el-men whose qualifications for their uties are undeniable, and whose means or ascertaining facts relative to 1t have een all the government could furnish hat levees along the banks of the river, o constructed as to practically retain the ood waters in its channel. thus securing
 uniform depth and velocity, which gives
 uniform carrying capacity, were neces- ary to prevent the building during high Gater navigation.
 The method has been to begin below nd build up the river. This has been ollowed until at this time the river is ractically leveed up to Memphis on the aft bank, and up to the mouth of the St. . francis river on the right bank.
 To leyee the St. Francis front remains 0 complete the levee system of the Mis- issippi river. This front covers two dis inct areas, one from the mouth of the St. Francis to near New Madrid, the other rom New Madrid to or near Cape Girar- leau.
 Believing that the policy heretofore pursued by the government, of assisting II the construction of levees, will be con inued, and that the lower and much lar ger division will be built first. the citazens ,f that division. including eight counties n Arkansas and three in Missouri, all ying partly or wholly within the over low area. which covers three million acres of land, have organized themselves into & evee district under the laws provided for that purpose by the states of Arkansas and Missouri. Our object in so doing is to cooperate with the national government in the construction of the leyee along said front.
 The length of this levee will be 260 miles. and the estimated cost sio.000 per mile. or total cost of S2,60o, GOO. The disastrous overhows of past years have not only retarded the development of this area, but have also driven desirable labor