The Forrest City times., 1896-08-14
IHE DROUTH IN LOUISIANA


ihe long drouth that has wrought
such havoc with the crops in this seq.
tion Is still unbroken. Corn has ,nna
since done all it could and MANY of our
farmers will not make enough IN do
them untll Christmas. Cottonis ruiued
ana Tue estimated yield for this pa,isb
Is generally placed at 25 per cent. The
neat TOO, is almost unbeaable. and in
some localities, to add to tile awful pic.
lure Oh deSolation wrought by the
orouth,the woods areion fire and fences
ana other property are in constant dan.
ger of destruction.
his is the most disastrous drontb
Iiiat mas ever visited our section II ;s
alilosI impossible to approximately
compute the damage done ALREADY ~
olops' not 10 say anything of what NAV
yes ioiiow. Peas, potatoes and other
siue crops VIII be almost total failure
nal. '''''i OH
our old inhabitants say that the pres.
enI Is the longest and most disastrous
u 1th experienced in this section since
lou. Not much, if any over third of
d crop VIII be made in this parish.
many good farmers VIII be hard run
next year Tor the necessities of life. to
say nothing of the Injuries. The grass
Is dead and many streams have stopped
running. The wells here in Mansfield
are very low. Unless rain falls soon
the pea and potato crops will be total
failure. We do not see how some of
cur poorer people are to avoid suffer
ing next year. Many of them will
nave nothing to eat, no money, no cred.
IL, ana no opportunity to get work un-
I'll next Spring. We have before us the
gioJmiest future ever seen here. Heav-
en- knows what will become of some of
the most destitute. Mansfield Demo
crat.
The dronth and hot winds have been
widespread in their devastating influ-
ences, in many localities displaying
complete ruin and desolation. In nu-
merous sections crops are almost en-
tlrely destroyed. and hauling water
from distance is necesitated by the
exhaustion of the local supply. None
out the fall crops could be benefited by
ram, such as potatoes. peas and tur-
nips. and that would be blessing.
Jefferson Jimplecute.
Throughout. our parish the ruin of
the crops has been complete. The corn
burned to crisp in the field and the
COTTON raised barely sufficient to fur
misll seed for the next years planting.
we are told that crops of SO acres will
not yield one bale. and in a great many
instances will not be worth gathering.
POTATOES, peas and other crops lave
shared the same fate, and the majority
OF our small farmers will not make
sufficient produce of any kind to fur
nish them the necessities of life for one
month. All credit has been cut off and
there Is nowhere to look for relief.
their nelghbors are in the same condi-
tiOn rs themselves. We hear of num-
Ders OF cases where large families are
living on bread alone. and this will not
last, as their stock of old corn is run.
nlng low, and there is nothing'in the
fields to replace it. Others have not
bread and subsist on what may be fur.
nlshed from the scant store of neigh.
bOrs. While this condition is not gen.
eral, still it exists in numerous cases
and will be more widespread later on,
and when the winter comes 1t will be
bad indeed-little children and women
brought to DISTRESS for food and cloth
ing TO protect them from the bitter
winter weather. There is no denying
the fact that grim want will preside in
our parish. 1t is teven with us now,
for there is nothing made on the farm
and with the avenues of trade closed
and home produce cut off. suffering is
bound to come.-Vernon Jacksonian.