The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
THE INsATIATE MISSISSIPPI.
How the Father OF Waters Took Away n Law.
yer's Valuable Real Estate.
From the Sd. Loufs elone. pemoorat.

From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat.
mo use talking, the Mississippi River is the
most contrary thing on earth" remarked Capt.
s. Fl. King of Greenville. Miss. During the
civil war, it will no remembered, there was a
double bend, much in the shape of the letter S,
of the river at Vicksburg. Gen. Grant, you
know, wanted to change the course of the river
by cutting a channel through De Soto peninsula,
thus cutting Off the upper bend and causing the
river to flow straight across below Vicksburg
and leaving the town high and dry. Grant
could then have sent his gunboats by Vicksburg
and escaped the Smelling from the upper bat
teries' of the Confederates north Of the town.
He put Gen. McClernand and several thousand
men to work Mt cutting this channel across the
peninsula in front Of the town. and they worked
for some time, Notwithstanding the harassment
from the lower batteries of the enemy. But
the contrary river wouldn't show the least de-
sire Of accepting such an artificial channel,
anyway. The plan was finally abandoned and
6Itn tSo g nnnep n5a h laHe 10 han ma aGTie the R run IN oe 9s4s
way across DC 500 pen:hsula below S!oIeSu7s,
but further up than Grants artificial channel
was started. De Soto peninsula is now De Soto
Island, and the body of water in front of Vicks-
the name from the year that the Centennial was
held at Philadelphia. This is only one OF many
i tn sab@it ff9 To tho dic toG 1n Of a eiVii sSFinee eesa aad
how it follows its own stubborn course. wind
ing and washing its way hero and there ut it's
"By the way. the Mississippi, washed several
a row OF houses which began almost three
blocks away from the river in Greenville, Miss.
The river will some time wash away its bank:
here and your buildings will tumble In
ss yNSl., Az. laughed fasi b,s st h h1%' ,e Ths bank INK r was
that there had oeeD a big save.in Of the river
buildings had been carried away. Joined the
crowd OF people That rushed to the river bank to
ape sppr 'aas sS't tHe 'esrible A power ' Ct the is0 Fa ! RsTe Of
Waters until l witnessed this scene, While l
W9s StSsIn s aKct there of , tSl6fins S SIoah friends in DAN an
crumbled away and fell into the river, carrying
with It sevNral more of my buildings. You can
an income Of 81. 900 a month in rentals from my
buildings; Now; oyer half Of them were u
real es 81 aeS %as n oSly SO @ a9wR dirt Int I In the f boat %H
las / stood there watohin my BUILDINGS and
preached me and said, Captain. ri give you
Vi, 800 for the remainder Of your property,
NO. III not take ess than $1,000. said J..
1.-THE words had no more than left my tongue
when there was another cave-in, and two more
greedy rives; The citizen lien remarked to me- r"'
Captain. I'll give you VI 900 for your prop
II refused to entertain this proposition,
which, of course, was u pure speculation. as no
human agency could stop the caye;in., Pretty
soon another. one of my lots and its building
then offered me $500 for the remainder of my
tr9st to luck and and stand tima ali p1 ioss esAI and / re- 20
fused TO sell Ct any, price. ] now had one lot
ment an old colored woman came up and said to
me-:
what's in dat cellar under yer housef
~ told her she could have the brick. had a
pile Of new brick IN the cellar under my only
her husband rs cents to:hire a team and wagon
to haul ava the b lick. Now, upon my word Of
While tho old colored man was gone for a
wagon another cavern occurred, and my last
house end lot, brick and cellar and all, tumbled
into the river. The cavern came so suddenly
had to flee for their lives, After the excite.
ment had somewhat subsidized the old colored
woman exclaimed:
Law o. massey! Dere's my brick in dc
bottom o. de ribber, an done los my quatah.'
"Of course, while the old woman was out 25
cents. ! was out another VI 900. During this
series OF cnye-ins that day efforts were being
made to place n long frame store building
on rollers and move II to a place OF safety. But
before the building could be raised II began 10
tilt, and the mon were compelled TO desert IL.
Soon the store building slid into, the river and
went .kerchug to the bottom Of the channel-as
completely out of slght as II II had been the only
pebble on the beach.
I'm my opinion the Mississippi River is all
right-when II doesn't come my way. ! built
and had a beautiful flower bedccked lawn he
tween tho house and the river, which was a
block away. Tint lawn ha' long. since. been
swallowed by the yoracions nav Of ne Missis,
| edge Of q bank that u ssyentY-aVe feet high"