The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-05-13
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.


In view Of the threatening waters
from above now in sight, poll
tics becomes back number, together
with all the other public questions OF
the day as far as we are concerned.
Neither IS it Of any use to raise hue
and cry over what may be termed the
ssspilled milk" in this immediate Sec
/ ton, to-wit: The discrimination of
the Fifth District Levee Board to
make 'shigh water fight on the
leyee in the Providence reach instead
of repairing and raising it as was
done to the levees from Arlington
down, in this parish, or the reconsid-
Grafton on the part of the Police Jury
of their resolution to expend $4,000
on this same levee, after they had
succeeded in borrowing the necessary
money to do so. While it would be
worse than useless TO dwell upon
these two instances just now, let us
hope that the lesson they afford will
be source OF future usefulness,
seeing that in both cases, from pres
ent indications, they were "penny
wise and pound foolish
But as we have stated, this is no
time to cry over spilled milk; on the
contrary, it is indeed time for
prompt and determined action on the
part of every one-not only on the
! part of those in authority, but also
on the part of every citizen without
exception. The danger is imminent
and there Is no use to disguise it.
Nearly week ago Mr. Hunt, Presi-
dent of the Levee District in Missis-
sippl at Greenville, published a cali
in the papers for volunteers to guard
and watch the levees throughout the
district; indeed we have given close
attention to the course pursued by the
: levee authorities across the river for
, sometime past, and it seems to US that
ever since the levee system has been
! approaching completeness they have
year after year been laboring late
and early to keep ahead OF the levees
: on this side the river ali along thelI
I line, as though they believed the
{ water was bound to break its bounds
: at some point. Every dangerou;
place is promptly repaired and care
fully watched night and day will
Jealous care, and the result las
spring was that while the breaks II
: the Arkansas levees deluged us, The
! levees across the river remained in
tact and Mississippi continued higl
81 and dry. 1t was evidently an in
q stance of 1.-THE survival of the fittest.
u There ere plenty of people VIII
. | doubt the possibility of keeping tn
big river within earth embankinent
i who say in all earnestness, 1T j
Il bound to crowi through somewhere.
e Whether they are correct or not is n
z question now, but in the event the
# should be, our duty in the hour Q
,e danger becomes far more imperative
at any rate, no weak places shout
be exposed to the turbid waters with
' in our domain.
- That there is real danger in th
- Providence reach no one can doubt
y The water at this writing Cfhursda
% morning) is even with the crown G
the levee within few inches OF la:
- years highest mark and rising owe
:. five inches in twenty four hours.
!, lis battle royal that IS being fougi
L. all along the front, from Longwoo
iup to above Cottonwood, a distant
J. of three or four miles. The fight
made with the steadily rising wat
on oneside and planks laid down wit
NJ sacks of earth dumped behind the
to as fast as they can be handled by b
RS lytween two and three hundred mt
I'D strung along the work.
,s- Ii the weather continues favorab
n and the rise Stacks off, the prospe
ey will brighten some, but men will g
ge fatigued and careful watching du
ing the night while they are resin
is of the last Importance to give t
nj alarm promptly in the event OF Il
ed water breaking through.
a The duty of the hour is fully a
ell parent from this pen-picture OF t
'th situation, which we know is not owe
re drawn, and in this emergency, Es
res Carroll expects every man to do
l.