The Forrest City times., 1896-04-10
LETTER OF GAIT. PHARR.
Memphis. Tenn. . March IF.

I
 Memphis, Tenn. March IT. 1896 Cok J. F. Smith. Marion, Ark.
 Dear Sir Yours of the'sllth inst h. s been received aud carefully considert d You write me that the anii-levpe peo- ple are makiug certain statements which you relate-Hune of which are true.
 l am astonished that men of intel ligence.and general good character can SC far forget themselves as to ascoa.e the vehicle for the dissemination. of such unfounded statements. They repeat these things without the least effort. apparently, to ascertain their truth and with as little regard for the character of others as they appear to have for their own.
 1t appears to me idle to make statement of facts for the benefit of such parties. for they evidently do not want tie facts.
 But to reply to your inquiries. | will Say: There Is no gap in the levee from Point Pleasant, Mo. to Becan Point, Ark.
 This Is sufficient for those who do not want to know. For those who do want to know the exact facts in refer ence to our levees. will say. that be. ginning at the southern extreme of the New Madnd highlands. one mile above Point Pleasant, the ground on the first half mile was so high that d ievee was not important. Yet. since the rest of the Missouri levee has been finished the president of the Missouri Lsvee Board is having little levee thrown up on that half mile. bringing II up to our grade line. Beginning at the southern end of the half mile the ievee Is continuous to the Arkansas State line. 4o miles. In this 4S- miles there Ia just north of Charlottesville 240o feet of old leWen which WAS, con 8Idered. good enough until the new levee was tinished. but is now being raised to the grade line and enlarged.
 The town of Charlottesville stands on d hill above the grade line. rIerr Is no leree there of course. From there to the Arkansas line. 20 miles. the leVte IS continuous and fusiird 2 From the Arkansas State line south 20.miies. 10 Bear Bayou, the levpr is new and continuous. From Bear Bayou south 30 miles to Nadena, the government and the citizens built and repaired the levee to d grade two feet ahove high water in 1857 $. We have lately raised and extended eight miles Of this levee. bringing it mp to our grade line. four feet above high water. + ron Nndena to Pecan Point. fifteen miles, the leyee IS continuous and new. From Pecan Point for one mile the l2gd Was SD high no ltvee wf!s necessary. There the old levee be glrS-and extends for two miles around Bean Schute. From the lower end ut the old levee We have bt3ili :pg6 feet ot ievee across the head Of Dldock lake to Hamilton Ridge which iS nearly as high asA our grade line for three mileS. with the excepii0n ot- two ar three slaall Impressions. This brings. HIS to Shawnee Village place. within four mics of the Crit tenneu county line.
 AS Io 'Nigger Woolr swamp-therp Is vague and iild, finite idea in the public nU,d that there k q, great swamp some here iu the upper part of the St. Francis basin of which l have no know ledge It iS laid down onno map that ' have hepns able 10 ind. IlB-re is d depression of about i've miles hetweeh the Ee@s Madrid tableland and the Missouri highlands AhsR'ts<st hfANl Aftt tkFI T. JN UdS1cS into Little RiyeT> when the upper Mis- issippi k of maximum food stage
 The Mississippi River Commissioners in their report for 1891 gives tue flow through this depression st 45.O5a cubic feet per second. and the fi,pw over the hank from Point Pieasant to Bear Bstyou. sixty-six ard one half miles. 3o3 0DD cubic feet Der secund. Hence tou see that if the flow in the St Fraiiels basin be divided into eight parts. less than one-eigh.h of it ps8Ses around thr npper end of oar lpgee un- der the most favorable circumstances for Snch overflow. aud the St. Francis can receive and deliver that amount ot. water without inconvenience to arE one
 This statement is lengthy. but 1 wish to nuke it fulland accurate and challenge an investigation of the facts here stated.
 l remain. Colonel. very respectfully your friend. Il. N PHARBs.