The Greenville times., 1896-07-01
Fer Congress.
GEN. 7. C. CATCHINGS.
4 NEW EEI.

The effects Of the rsesnt spproPris-
lien for lssee improvement In the
YaEeo district win be immediate, and
lie beneficial inGusnee viii reach out
Iato years 10 come. Indeed, its I'm
portsace and sigui6esnee TO The future
OF thIs section eansos be justly esti-
mated q present. Land In the Delta
IL inlrinslcslly worth 800 an acre,
valued according TO the standard set
BY regions Of uncommon fertility In
other Sisiea Security only 10 neces-
sary to render these lands ss desirable
- any In Kentucky Or 0hio-morc 80,
In fact, both because Of their superior
isy, and because OF the far greater
climatic advantages we enjoy. The
appropriation practically insures our
safety from present or future over
flows; for the government, having set
its hand to the work, win surely see
that lts investment 10 not thrown
away. Each succeeding year will see
our levee system stronger and more
perfect, the population Of the protect
cd country increasing, and iis land
values rising TO heights unhoped for
and unstlaInable under the Intellectual
protection which was all that local
effort could furnish.
Between 1882 and 1890 the country
enjoyed . psrisd Of rest from iuunds-
tion, and si the same time two lines Of
railway pierced the Delta The result
10 frssh In the memory Of all. Laud
rose 10 fancy values. Speculation
went wild. Immense sums Of money
were borrowed, and almost every acre
In the district was placed under heavy
mortgage With the money borrowed
the landowners purchased additional
land, including 1t also in the mortgage.
Vast tracts we're cleared. The popu.
latisn trsbled or quadrupled. The
country presented an appearance Of
neurishing prosperity such - IL had
never known. But this prosperity
was fsctitious. Il was built upon .
foundation OF debt; and when the in
evitabls day Of reckoning came il
melted away. Great foods followed
the slow water cycle" The levees
built BY the efforts OF LEGAL boards
gave way and disastrous evsrhows
swept away ell that had been gained.
Cotton fell to ruinous figures. The
great wave Of financial depression
swept over the country, finding the
careless aud sxsravagant planters with
sut . cent to meet their maturing obll.
cations. Many lands changed hands
Almost an entirely new set Of land.
owners came into possession, and val.
ues fell 10 nominsl figures. The gov.
eminent came to the rescue and aided
In rebuilding the levees; but the harm
was already done. In the last three
years the river has remained within
Its banks, and II Is q strong proof ei
the wonderful recuperative powers ol
the country that In that time the die
asters Of 1s90l93 have been almost
forgotten and the country 10 to-day Ia
. condition % fourishing and NOR,
genuinely prosperous than in the tur
gid and unhealthy growth Of lsSS-sO
We are In . position to begin anew
aud the present owners Of the land
are not burdened with the mountain
Of debt assumed by The two-sanguin,
planters OF Inc past decade. we az
not fear the recurrence Of such . peri
cd Of disaster as that which begun II
1890. Those overhows checked th,
tide Of immigration, which will now
pour into . country Of which ever
rich acre Is susceptible Of cultivation
There 10 now no obstacle to the full
development of the most msgnifcen
agricultural district on the continent
where for Thousands Of miles no rocl
or bill impsdes the progress Of th'
plow; where soil and climate combine
to make perfect farming region, snt
which Is destined to a degree of i'm
provement and prosperity to whicl
former Inmeuts will be trivial.