Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1894-12-19
IN FLOOD TIME.
Unique Scenes in the Sugar Dis
trict of Louisiana.
Entire Plantations Covered by a
Wild Waste Of Waters.

ana is very fiat and intersected all
over with network of back water
streams called bayous. The tides
from the ocean and the floods from
the Father of Waters steal noiselessly
back and forth through them. This
constant ebb and flow cuts them out
very deep, but not wide on account of
the tenacious banks formed by the
rank vegetation with which they are
generally bordered. They are navi-
gable waterways for craft that are not
too broad in the beam. One will not
travel far before coming upon one of
these bayous, and by parting the
bushes and weeds will see narrow
lagoon-like stream that it may appear
possible to wade, but it will prove
very deceptive as to depth Present
ly perhaps throbbing noise will be
heard, and schooner in tow of tug
will appear wedging its way between
the palisades of moss-hung cypress
and arching water Over on the
Mississippi side of the country the
river is kept in by Government levees,
supplemented sometimes by private
ones Of better nature, which the
planters put up behind the works of
the Government for additional protec-
tion. Often the river is higher than
the surrounding country, and one sees
pairs of steamboat stacks moving
noiselessly along above the treetops.
In one instance, midway between
the coast and the river, the levee
broke, and some of the inhabitants
knew nothing about it at the time.
The water in the bayous rose up high
er and higher on the trunks of the
cypress trees, and no return tide from
the ocean rushed it back and let it
down again. The bitches were filled
with water noiselessly from this d.
rection and from that. Not drop of
rain had fallen for some days, but the
ground became soggy, and by night
the cane fields were under water, and
the fences Aoated away, and in the
morning the people went around the
downstairs part of the house in boats.
Generally those who are liable to be
affacted are Le~+ r~-I-". s--~ 49,
Father of Waters is n common enemy,
and at critical times the neighbors will
carry news to neighbors, and all rush
to the front forgetting animosities and
race lines, and labor ceaselessly day
and night in their efforts to hem in the
rising flood ofthe mighty river. Many
are the feuds that are healed during
the anxiety of a night on dangerous
lveee.
Those who live in regions high and
dry can scarcely imagine the scenes
incident to au occasion of this kind.
The piano is showed out on the lawn,
ready to be swung by ropes to the up
per balcony if it is too big to go up
the staircase, and it generally is. The
books in the library are taken to the
second story or the garrett; ditto, the
mattings, carpets, pictures, portieres
curtains and upholstered furniture
The colored people have their own ef-
fects to keep dry and are unavailable,
and it devolves upon the members of
the family to save what they prize most
highly. The stable boss, of course, is
away, and one of the family has to go
down with the lantern and turn the
horses out, so they can swim if they
have to. The doors of the sugar house
have to be closed to keep things that
will float from drifting away. 1t be-
gins to rain and articles on the lawn
are in danger while waiting elevation
to the balcony. Later on, as the water
deepens, the downstairs shutters are
closed to keep drifting matter from
breaking the glass, and it is now so
high that the things are removed
from the upper drawers and shelves
by boat, those lower down having
been attended to first, and the stair
case is used for landing. Last Of all
the lamps are taken out of the chan.
deliers and han ded up, and the lower
part of the house is left in
dampness and darkness. Morn
ing comes, and all is water.
A steamboat pushes in through the
floating fences, that are beginning to
wind off like huge sea serpents, to
learn if anything is wanted. Many
other things happen before the food
goes down, which it finally does, leav
ing dead cattle boats, barrels and all
kinds of odd things in the branches of
the trees along the avenue. Then
comes the cleaning up of the house,
and moving down again. 1t is sur
prising few minnow fish are dead in
the mud on the hearthstones, and n
crawfish is making tracks through the
scum on the floor. But the damage
to the house is trivial compared to
that done to the plantation. New
York Tribune.
A Couple of Sneers.