The Greenville times., 1897-03-27
GREENVILLE TINES
INSPIRED IDi0CI.


Here Is a sample Of the stuff that Is
being sent out to the world by the
press about the condition OF the ower
Mississippi Valley. This lurid bit OF
word painting is published in double
columns, under big black scare
heads" in loilers an inch long, by The
ST. Louis Republic, paper which is
near enough to the scene TO know
better.
"The gravest peril confronts the
people OF the lower Mississippi Val
lev Only rescue boats, quick and
spacious to arrive at the sceue of wa.
tery disaster. can save human IiYts
All property Interests have been aban-
doucd Tho vital question Is, can
boats reach I'm time to save human be-
ings struggling i'm the water, hanging
from tree tops and holding with e
death grasp on the house t0pst The
terrors of the flood surpass all fore
runners of disaster III the most fertile
section of tho United States, or the
world Quarantine places al least
temporary bar TO the advance oil yel
low fever and cholera sCOurgcs which
have heretofore sent up walls of
agony from the brave and courageous
people whose picked flowers have
been witbered by the blast of cOnta- |
giou. But the flood, bearing equal
wratts to all alike, respecting none |
10 9 Il n that a
mighty government could devise |
sweeps on with pitilcss fury, dsshlDg !
to death every human obstacle and |
spsring none. The end of all this |
havoc is beyond human ken. An |
avengiug Providence only can stay lls
murderous onslaught Hundreds OF
people shrek for rescue, but no har-
Dor is in sight, and fsthoms of water
cut them oil from all hope of refuge.
The hogs. tho cows chat should be
tatteniug upon The early moss Of
Spring are swept away before their
eyes. Hope has fled from strong
hearts, the weak have fled to the up
lands, or, in attempting to escape
have been strauglod by the murky |
waves"
There is plenty more, but chats
sufficient as Tom Hayues said when
he saw the elephant,
Now, is not this preposlerous Is
It not disgraceful that a paper as H.
duential and generally reliable as the
Republic should sdmit to its columns
such q mixture of stupidity and mis- :
Happily the fantastic
absurdity Of the repoet is rn antidote '
o its evil effect It's reader recog- t
lizos it instantly as the work of an 4
Inspired idiot who Is well paid for his 4
yerbal fireworks, and no doubt chuck /,
ed to himself with satisfaction at the +
bought that his skyrockets would y
ring him 81 increase of salary That 0
) about all there ia in it, A part Of /.
Arkansas--comparatlvely very small d
arts overfOwed, as usually hap. G,
ems to it Whenever the river rises b.
ayOnd certain point, and consider Ii
Die loss of property has ensued. The 81
iver is higher than it has ever before ia
cen known to be, and there is ser w
,us danger that the greater part of b,
le rich and populous aluvial lands 81
f Arkansas, Mississippi End Louis II
ma may be overdowed, with great b,
1usequent destruction A magnih- h,
INT fight TO protect them s being tv
ade by the levee authorities and The te
nited States government and with co
uch probability that it will be sue tn
.ssful. The people OF the lower Mis-. TT
'sippi Valley except IN the portion ia,
North Eastern Arkansas already fe
lder water are busy blowing and sis
auting their crops: Th whole coun- fo
y is a beautiful picture of blooming al,
lit trees, fertile furrowed fields. IT,
d prosperous farming activity. 1t Ijo
possible, Of course, that this fair ba
enc may be submerged by the wa mo
Of The river, but under no circum- pfr
.nces can such direful cataclysm tho
me to pass as that described by the be,
.lrlous pen Of the Republic report lea
Small blame to the young man 4
10 wrote the article. He is paid am,
bis Mysteries, and probably gets no,
only information from Chicago pre-
Vspapers which be has read in his ire,
lighted back office in ST. Louis the
e fault lies with the rewspapor con
tch will give publicity aud wide Gle
cad circulation TO such rhodo- Of {
ntade of ignorance, bombast aqd thr,
school .ooi
he experience of the Memphis re- ,..-.