Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-01
FROM THE FLOODED DISTRICTS.
The Father of Waters" Is Higher at
Arkansas City Than Ever Before
Known-Situation Pre-
carious.
Correspondence of the Ledger.

correspondence OF the Ledger.
ARKANSAS CITY, Ark, March q,
1s97.-Feeling that the alarming news
from the flooded districts, now filling
the ST. Louis papers, is inspiring
kindly feelings of sympathy from our
friends in Mexico, and believing that
a brief description of the condition of
affairs in a threatened district not yet
inundated may prove interesting
reading matter, 1 send you the fol-
lowing:
The Mississippi River is at this place
to-day one foot and a quarter higher
| than was ever known in the annals of
time, the gage reading 81 feet and A
of a foot, and is still rising at the rate
of A e. day. Our levee system is the
best that has ever been erected and
the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and
! Southern Railroad, the United States
Government, the Louisiana Levee
| Board and the Desha Levee Board
have large squads of men at work up
on them throughout the entire sys-
tenn. As the result of these two con-
| ditionB a most earnest war is in pro-
gress between them and to the out
come of it all we look with undis-
| guised anxiety; for to this county
the finest agricultural district OF
| Dixie--the result means everything.
For three years this section has es-
capped these terrible calamitous over
flows and is fast budding into a YER
liable Eden. Rich in natural resources
far beyond estimate, of the most
equitable climate that q land a be
blessed with, and peopled by a class
of inhabitants generous, true and
brave, Southern Arkansas asks but
that she be protected from the dis
astrous overflows, and in three years
more she will fully establish her claims
to the title "The Garden Spot of the
World" This battle against the
Father of Waters and all its tribu.
taries must be won or it will be a long
time before we can again be in thii
position.
To level our levees now means that
this year we are to receive an extra
appropriation from the Government
for levee purposes, and with this spent
upon our already magnificent system
our future prosperity is assured. For
years energy, brains and wealth have
struggled to place us in the position
we are about to be in, and with no
exaggeration may it be said u stu
alton is appalling. But to our chances
of success. If the rise stops at OF
near So feet, if the pretty weather
continues, and If the water, when II
reaches a stand, is not kept up toe
long, all will be well. Unless we are
blessed in these three particulars ]
fear we are lost. The water is now
above the top of the levee in front o.
this city by a few inches and is held
back by means of sacks of dirt thrown
along the crest of the levee and rolled
in ON either side by planks helt
together across the tops by wire
: With the exception of this strip il
front of town the rest of the levee Is
, few inches above the water and mel
and sacks are being sent along tn
line as speedily as possible.
at almost every point along thu
t-1 ess.rt ewh ii ss fns 'c oosssad ee aHsToaHtgSsafss l
! levee. This is not regarded as dan
: gerou: unless the seep water come
. out i'll bubbles, which indicate that
: break is threatened. The levee every
where is very wet from the seep waite
and should we again have a rainy spe
like the one last week we would suffe
r much. In town everyone has thei
Y furniture propped upon false floors i
Q their houses, which stand about fiv
t or six feet from the ground. Every
one has shipped their stock to the hill
= and many of the ladies and childrel
= have gone to higher ground. Other
: will follow as the situation grow
more alarming. AS for the men of thi
: country the existing conditions seen
= to be but an incident extremely inter
: esting, yet none despair, but work Iik
veritable sbraves'' IN the mud an,
will continue to fortify the embank
: ments till the victory is won or all i
, last.
:, Governor Jones has offered us Stat
! AID in the way of provisions, but thes
! have been refused for the present, a
We are not yet in need and the effec
, of "fres rations" is d~emoralizing t.
labor. The militia has been placed a
the Sheriff's disposal to guard the lev
ees and hands are daily arriving to in
crease the forces already at work. A
this mornings kilograms show a fal
every where above here, but a one
foot rise at St. Louis and a stand a
Cairo, we may yet come out all right
The events of the next week will de
eide. We continue to receive tn,
LEDGER regularly and, like a lette
from home, it is a welcome visitor. Witt
, best wishes for Mexico's continued
prosperity, / beg to remain,
Very Truly,
i X. o. PINDALL.